Sgt Matt Ratana: Police puppies named in shot officer's memory

Seven puppies which will all be trained to become police dogs have been named in memory of Sgt Matt Ratana, who was killed while on duty last year.

Sgt Ratana was shot in September 2020 as he prepared to search a handcuffed suspect at the Croydon Custody Centre.

His partner Su was invited to name the three males and four females in his honour.

Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said it was "one of the ways for the Met to acknowledge and remember" the officer.

The seven names chosen by Su were Matiu, Carter and Jonah for the males, while the females were called Kora, Blu, Valentine and Whanau.

The German Shepherd puppies were born at the Met's Dog Training Establishment at Keston on 24 March.

They have now been allocated to handlers ahead of a 12-month training course to become fully licensed police dogs.

Dame Cressida said dogs would become "invaluable" once they were in service as "many criminals would escape justice and crucial evidence remain undetected, if not for their assistance.

"Because of their work, the streets of London are kept much safer," she added.