Percival Campbell Tulloch

Percy Tulloch (known as Tom) was the eldest boy of a family of eight children from Point Chevalier, Auckland. His father was a blacksmith. In 1941 he had ten years’ police service behind him in Dunedin, Auckland and Bruce Bay (South Westland). He had been in Hokitika four years. Each month he sent money to his widowed mother in Auckland. The events that culminated in the death of four New Zealand Police Officers and three civilians on the South Island’s West Coast in 1941 began simply enough. After a number of complaints from the local community about Stanley Graham’s threatening behaviour Sergeant Cooper, and Constables Best, Tulloch and Jordan set off to question him. Arriving at Graham’s house Best and Cooper went ahead and spoke with Graham on his front veranda, they then left to talk with his neighbours. Jordan and Tulloch were ordered to stay in the general vicinity. Graham’s house was opposite the local school and the officers, suspecting trouble from Graham, wanted to ensure the children had all gone for the day. Their intention was to confiscate Graham’s firearms. When Cooper and Best returned from gathering statements from the neighbours, they walked up the front path and into the Graham house. Tulloch and Jordan stayed in the police car. Graham was near his milking shed, and seeing them approach he picked up his rifle and headed through the back door. A conversation between the officers and Graham did not go well, with Sergeant Cooper insisting on seizing Graham’s rifles. Graham refused and so Bill Cooper motioned to the two constables to join them to lend some man-power to the situation. Tulloch and Jordan ran up the front path while Sergeant Cooper went to take the firearm Graham was holding. The first shot shattered Cooper’s right forearm. The next bullet was aimed directly at the two constables killing them both as it drove right through their bodies, very close to their hearts, and embedded in the wall behind them. Constable Best was shot in the hand. Neighbours heard three shots and then witnessed Sergeant Cooper run out the front door. Graham was in pursuit and fired another shot, felling Bill Cooper. The neighbours spoke of how Graham slowly stalked the fallen man, went up to him and bent over his body to confirm he was dead. Meanwhile a wounded Ted Best moved beside Jordan and Tulloch to see if he could help them. Graham swung around and fired back into the house, hitting Constable Best in the stomach. This was to be a fatal wound, but he did not die instantly and at this point Mrs Graham came from the back of the house and forced Constable Best to sign a confession - that he had come to the house that day with the intention of murdering Stan Graham. Stan Graham readied himself to go bush and Mrs Graham ran into the street calling for a doctor for Constable Best. Stanley Graham killed three more men, all civilians, in the course of the manhunt that took 12 days. Percy Tullochs was returned to his mother on 10 October 1941 and he was buried in the family plot at Waikumete Cemetery. His greatest legacy is the anonymous poem that was amongst his effects on the day he was murdered. It is noted that he lived up to the values the poem promotes.

A Policeman’s Prayer

• Give me the unfailing courage at all times and under all conditions.
• Let me look into the face of death with unblinking eyes and with no sense of fear.
• Teach me to realise that there are prowling human wolves ever ready to devour the innocent, that there are depraved creatures cast in comely human mould to whom murder is but an incident, and crime in all its hideous phases only an occupation.
• Grant that I may live my life simply and keep my life clean.
• Let me acquire superlative the art of self-defence against the cunning wiles of mine own and the people’s enemies. Steel me against the machinations of those who would corrupt us. May I never disgrace my uniform or think too lightly of those who, by long service and faithfulness to duty have earned the right to rank above me. Let me possess the virtues of the soldier on the battlefield. Preserve me from all personal vanity and save me from all pettiness in my dealings with those less fortunately placed in life.
• Aid me in understanding that my job is a truly noble one; that it involves self-sacrifice, the maintenance of a robust body and a cool head, and that first and last I must be a man amongst men.
• Help me to be lightening quick in determining the right thing to do in grave emergencies. Help me to cultivate a warm heart and a ready hand for the needy and the weak. May I be greatly feared by law-breakers and greatly loved by my friends.
• Teach me to bear myself in storm or sunshine, in congenial or distasteful locations, always as the blue-clad symbol of civilisation’s law, without which there would be little happiness on this earth and no reason whatsoever for human progress.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/NewZealandPoliceMuseum/posts/today-we-mour...