Man arrested in Croydon police shooting case
A man has been arrested on suspicion of supplying a firearm following the murder of a police officer in Croydon, South London.
Sgt Matiu Ratana, 54, died from his injuries in hospital on Friday after being shot as a handcuffed suspect was being taken into custody.
He moved to the UK from New Zealand in 1989, and joined the
Met Police two years later.
The suspect presumed responsible for the shooting is also thought to have shot himself.
He remains in a critical condition in hospital, having originally been arrested for an alleged drugs offence and possession of ammunition.
Shots were allegedly fired as officers prepared to search the suspect.
Now, another person has been arrested on suspicion of supplying the firearm used in the incident.
The new arrest was made by police officers in Norwich at around 02:00 this morning.
An update issued by the Met Police has confirmed that the suspect remains in custody at a South London police station.
It continued:
“Officers investigating the murder of Sgt Matt Ratana continue to work around the clock as part of a detailed and thorough investigation.
“The searches and forensic examination of the scene in Pollards Hill have been concluded and the cordons have now been removed.
“The suspect for Matt’s shooting remains in hospital. He is in a critical condition and consequently we are not able to speak to him.”
Tributes have been paid nationwide, to a man who PC Sarah D’Silva described as “an absolutely fantastic character, full of life, with the biggest smile you’ve ever seen”.
Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, said she “hadn’t been surprised at all” by the number of tributes paid to him.
“Matt was an extraordinary person. He had a wonderful personality and he was very good at his job,” she added.
Prince Charles also paid tribute to Sgt Matiu Ratana during a National Police Memorial Day service, saying his death was the “latest heartbreaking evidence of the risks”.
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