The 25th anniversary memorial ceremony for an Ilford police officer shot dead was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions but the police commissioner and colleagues paid their respects to mark the occasion.
Pc Phillip Walters was called to a disturbance at a house on Empress Avenue on the evening of April 18, 1995 and attended with four other Pcs.
While trying to arrest one man who was part of a group beating up another man, Pc Walters received a fatal gun shot wound to his chest and died aged just 28.
“We found these three guys beating up this man,” explained Pc Derek Shepherd, speaking to the Recorder at the 20th anniversary.
“I managed to cuff one and then we tackled another, and then this guy came out from the top of the stairs and just started firing.”
Pc Walters’ killer was convicted of manslaughter and left prison on parole several years ago.
A plaque, funded my Recorder readers, was placed in Valentines Park, shortly after his death.
The police and family were planning on holding a big ceremony at the site of Pc Walters memorial on Empress Avenue today (Friday, April 17) with a large group of people but had to cancel it.
Instead Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick held a ceremony at New Scotland Yard and Detective chief superintendent Stephen Clayman of East Area Command laid a wreath at the Empress Avenue memorial.
Det Ch Supt Clayman said it was a very difficult decision to cancel the event but the family were extremely understanding of the circumstances.
Pc Walters died right before Det Ch Supt Clayman started at the Met but he said his legacy remains strong in East Area Command where there is a Phillip Walters memorial room at Ilford Police Station.
Det Ch Supt Clayman said: “It is always with great sadness when you remember a fallen colleague who died in such tragic circumstances.
“It was an honour for me to lay the flowers at the memorial stone.”
The police are hoping to have a memorial ceremony later this year or next year once it is safe to do so.
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