Murder of Matthew Hunt

Matthew Dennis Hunt was a 28-year-old constable in the New Zealand Police, born on 30 July 1991. He had served for two and a half years, mostly as a frontline officer in his hometown of Orewa, before a temporary rotation to the Impairment Prevention Team based at the Auckland Harbour Bridge Police Station. He joined the police in October 2017 as part of Wing 312, trained at the Royal New Zealand Police College. He was raised by his mother and sister on the Hibiscus Coast and attended Orewa College, and had reportedly dreamed of becoming a police officer since studying criminology and working in prisons.

On 19 June 2020, at approximately 10:37 am, Hunt and Constable David Goldfinch were conducting routine traffic duties in Massey, Auckland. After checking a vehicle against the police database and finding alerts on the registered owner, they attempted to intercept the car. The driver, later identified as Eli Epiha, fled and crashed into a parked vehicle on Reynella Drive, injuring a bystander. When Goldfinch approached to render aid, Epiha emerged with a Norinco semi-automatic firearm and opened fire. Hunt radioed for backup as shots were fired. Goldfinch was struck by four of nine shots before reaching cover and radioing his location. Hunt, having lost contact with Goldfinch, left the patrol vehicle to find him; Epiha returned and shot Hunt multiple times. Hunt made a final radio transmission before losing consciousness and died at the scene. Epiha then retrieved a second firearm and forced a resident to drive him away. Goldfinch survived his injuries after being assisted by members of the public.

A large manhunt followed, involving the Armed Offenders Squad and police helicopters, with multiple schools placed in lockdown. Police later stormed a home in West Harbour and arrested a fleeing driver using road spikes. A 24-year-old man, later named as Eli Epiha, was charged that night with murder, attempted murder, and dangerous driving causing injury. A 30-year-old woman, Natalie Bracken, was subsequently sought and taken into custody, facing charges including driving offences and being an accessory to murder.

In July 2021, Epiha pleaded guilty to Hunt's murder and dangerous driving causing injury, but was found guilty by jury of the attempted murder of Goldfinch after previously denying intent to kill him. On 10 December 2021, Justice Venning sentenced Epiha to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 27 years, rejecting claims of recklessness without intent. Epiha's appeal against the sentence was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on 27 November 2022.

Natalie Bracken was convicted on 27 July 2021 of being an accessory after the fact to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and was sentenced in October 2021 to twelve months' imprisonment. The court rejected her claim that she acted under duress. Bracken was later separately convicted of unrelated drug offences in 2023, receiving a five-year-nine-month sentence in February 2024.

The killing prompted national tributes, including statements from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and other political leaders, and the Auckland Sky Tower being lit in police-blue colours. Hunt was posthumously awarded the New Zealand Bravery Decoration in December 2024, presented to his mother in May 2025. An inquiry into his death was announced in December 2023 as not proceeding, as relevant recommendations had already been addressed by police.