Daily routine turned deadly for slain cop David Rixon

Daily Telegraph (Sydney) ^ | 3rd March 2012 | Clementine Cuneo and Carleen Frost

[naturalman1975]

SENIOR-Constable David Rixon was about an hour into his day shift when he pulled the car over.

It was a routine traffic stop, like thousands of others he had performed during more than 20 years with the police.

It was about 7.30am when he flagged the car down in suburban Lorraine St in West Tamworth and began speaking with the two men inside.

Both of them were known to police.

Unexpectedly the situation escalated as one of the men became aggressive, senior police sources said.

Sen-Constable Rixon managed to get one handcuff on the man but, as he was trying to secure the second cuff, the man allegedly pulled out a gun and shot the officer twice - in the chest and abdomen.

Witnesses said they saw the officer struggling on the ground with another man, and then doubled over in pain.

"There was a lot of yelling and struggling ... that's why I came out," said a resident who gave his name as John.

Despite bullet wounds to his chest and stomach, Sen-Constable Rixon didn't give up the fight. As he yelled at residents to "Stay down", police sources said the officer returned fire and struck the alleged shooter in the upper body. The second man, who was uninjured, fled in the car.

[naturalman1975]

I knew David. He was a good man. He would not have wanted to die, of course, but if he had to, he would have wanted to go down as he did - still firing his weapon and still trying to protect the public.

[SuzyQue]

Sad story.

You’ve got a very impressive home page.

[umgud]

I don’t envy these guys. Imagine going out on a daily basis and knowing any one of the day’s cofrontations could end this way. No money in the budget for 2 police/car.

[Ozymandias Ghost]

Very sorry to hear of the loss of your friend in the line of duty. Obviously he gave his life serving and protecting his country and his community. By those selfless actions his life had more meaning than most and there is some solace to be found in remembering him in that way.

Sincerely,

-Geoff

[TYVets]

I knew David. He was a good man.

It is always sad to hear of the premature death of a good person no matter what their line of work.

It appears that in Australia as it is in the United States criminals do not obey gun laws.

Fortunately the criminal that fled the scene did not cause harm to the public or police before he was apprehended. Had John the resident been armed the second criminal might not have left the scene.

I second SuzyQue's remark, "You’ve got a very impressive home page."

[tanuki]

Thank you for letting us know about this fine man. A shame it couldn’t have been under better circumstances.

[Crapgame]

As a 23 year police veteran who daily gets into his black and white and patrols a beat, you have my fullest sympathy for the loss of your friend. I have lost a brother. I just hope the usual “police-are-evil-government thugs” suspects don’t jump on this thread.

[caldera599]

No, they only come out when someone posts a story about the cops taking someone’s drugs away.

[naturalman1975]

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

The home page is my way of trying to put this into practice.

Lest We Forget.

[SuzyQue]

Amen.