A chief constable has paid an emotional tribute to a murdered police officer who died when a stolen pick-up truck mounted a central reservation and careered into him.
PC David Phillips, 34, married with two young daughters, was killed moments after he and a colleague tried to deploy a “stop stick” device in the path of the oncoming vehicle.
Colleagues in a patrol car had already begun a pursuit as the Mitsubishi sped away from the scene of a burglary at an estate agent’s in Birkenhead, the Wirral, Merseyside, in the early hours of Monday morning.
As the neighbourhood officer lay dying, the Mitsubishi drove off. It was later found abandoned.
Phillips was given emergency first aid by colleagues and rushed to Arrowe Park hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after admission.
Merseyside police immediately launched a murder investigation. Detectives are studying CCTV footage and are thought to be working on the premise that the driver of the red pick-up deliberately targeted the two officers.
As Phillips’s widow, Jen, and daughters Abigail, seven, and Sophie, three, were being comforted by relatives, his chief constable, Sir Jon Murphy, told a press conference: “He didn’t stand a chance.”
“A Mitsubishi Challenger L200 pick-up type car was stolen. It was sighted a short time later and trained road policing officers engaged in pursuit of that vehicle from the Birkenhead area towards Wallasey.
“Constable Phillips was deployed with a young colleague to the Wallasey link road, Junction 1 of the M53 into Wallasey, which is a dual carriageway with a central reservation. Shortly after 1.30am Constable Phillips attempted to deploy a stop stick for the purpose of immobilising the stolen vehicle by making the tyres go flat.
“The Mitsubishi mounted the central reservation and drove directly at the officers down the central reservation and hit Constable Phillips directly. He did not stand a chance.”
“The young officer, who has only two years’ service, was able to jump out of the way. Despite the best efforts of his colleagues and medical staff at Arrowe Park hospital, Constable Phillips passed away a short time later.”
Murphy said the thoughts of everyone in the force were with the officer’s young family, as well as with his mother, father, family and friends.
“We will do all we can to support them in the days and weeks to come.”
Phillips joined Merseyside police in 2006 and had worked exclusively in the Wirral. “He was a highly competent and professional police officer,” said Murphy. “He was popular and held in high regard by his colleagues and supervisors. He will be missed by all.
“He is the first Merseyside police officer to be killed in a criminal act since PC Raymond Davenport in 1981. He, too, was killed by a stolen car, in Liverpool city centre.”
Tragic news felt by everybody in our office. The true danger of stinger deployment and pursuits. #RIP #policefamily http://t.co/tS4emNEWi7
— WestYorks Police RPU (@WYP_RPU) October 5, 2015
The latest death served as a reminder “of the risks that the men and women of Merseyside police and other UK forces face in serving the public every day. They come to work day in and day out, knowing the risks they take.”
Murphy said the loved ones of police officers expected them to come home at the end of each day’s watch. “David did not. His daughters will have to grow up without their father.”
The chief constable also appealed to the public for information. He admitted: “We have an abandoned vehicle, and at the moment we have nothing else. I would appeal to the people responsible for this incident to do the sensible thing and the right thing and give themselves up. If you do not, we will find you.”
Jane Kennedy, the police and crime commissioner for Merseyside, was in tears as she said: “Today is a day of mourning for the entire police family. It was with great shock that I was told the news in the early hours of this morning.
“Police are on the front line every single day protecting our communities, and it is a dark day when we lose one of our own. It is a painful reminder of the risks that police officers face to keep us all safe. David went to work to protect the people of Merseyside. His family could never have imagined he would never return home.”
Peter Singleton, the chairman of the Merseyside police federation, said it was a “desolate day” for the force and for the police service as a whole.
He said of Phillips: “He was a dedicated husband and father to two daughters, as well as being a enthusiastic and committed police officer. His colleagues are understandably shocked and upset. His young children have been robbed of a father and his wife, Jen, has been deprived of a husband. His colleagues have lost a respected and truly exceptional officer. He was one of the best.”
Theresa May, the home secretary, led tributes from politicians to the officer, saying in a statement: “My thoughts are with the family and friends of the officer who has sadly died, and with his many colleagues in Merseyside police and the wider policing community ...
“When a police officer falls in the line of duty, their death is a reminder of the very real dangers they face day in, day out, as they put themselves in harm’s way to deal with violent criminals and dangerous situations.”
Angela Eagle, the MP for Wallasey and shadow business secretary, expressed her shock at the incident.
Shocked to hear about the incident on the dock road in Wallasey Thoughts with family of the murdered police officer
— Angela Eagle (@angelaeagle) October 5, 2015
Emergency services personnel and police took to Twitter to offer their condolences.
RIP to our police friends, the thin blue line gets a little thinner with every tragedy #999family https://t.co/kYeOTLUNq0
— HertsMedic999 (@HertsMedic999) October 4, 2015
Phillips is the second Merseyside police officer to be killed in the past 12 months. In December 2014, a newlywed PC, Neil Doyle, 36, was killed while off duty with colleagues in Liverpool city centre.
In September 2012, two colleagues from the neighbouring Greater Manchester force were murdered in a gun and grenade attack. PCs Fiona Bone, 32, and Nicola Hughes, 23, were lured to a property in Mottram, Tameside, by fugitive Dale Cregan.
More than 1,600 officers have lost their lives while performing vital duties, according to a national police memorial roll of honour that lists all those who have been killed by criminal acts in the line of duty since 1680.
Heartbreaking news about @MerseyPolice this morning. Thoughts with them & ambulance colleagues that tried to save the officer #999family
— Lucy Parrott (@wmaslparrott) October 5, 2015
