Constable Matthew Dennis Hunt, a police officer who was fatally shot in a traffic stop in West Auckland yesterday, has been remembered as a "person of great integrity".
Constable Hunt, 28, was raised on the Hibiscus Coast his mother, Diane, and sister, Eleanor, where attended Orewa College, his family said today in a statement.
"It was his life-long dream to be a police officer," the family said.
He then went on to complete a BA in Criminology, after which he worked as a case manager at Auckland Prison.
Constable Hunt also spent time living in the UK before returning to New Zealand to realise his dream of joining the police in 2017.
He spent the majority of his career as a frontline officer with both the Orewa and Helensville stations, before moving into the Waitematā Road Policing Team.
"Matthew was a person of great integrity," his family wrote. "His closest friends were like his brothers and sisters and they along with his family are absolutely heartbroken by what has happened.
"He was passionate about sport and his physical fitness and was thrilled to enjoy the recent Blues game at Eden Park with his mates."
A man in his 20s will appear in the Waitematā District Court this morning charged with Constable Hunt's murder.
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