Detectives given 24 hours extension to question officer murder suspects
Five boys are among the ten males held in custody over the death of Police Constable Andrew Harper on Thursday (August 15).
On Sunday night, Thames Valley Police was granted an additional 24 hours to detain the ten suspects, who were all arrested within an hour of PC Harper’s death at around 11.30pm.
The force has provided more details about those detained as the maximum period for which they can remain in custody before charge expires later today.
The 28-year-old proactive roads policing officer had been responding with a crewmate to a report of a burglary in Bradfield Southend, in Berkshire.
The officers located a vehicle that was suspected to be involved in the burglary in Lambdens Hill, near Sulhamstead.
It is not yet known how PC Harper came to be out of his police vehicle. A post-mortem showed he died of multiple injuries consistent with being dragged between a car and the road surface.
Detectives have been searching a nearby local authority-run caravan site and a number of crime scenes.
Those arrested are:
A 17-year-old from Bramley, Hampshire;
A 17-year-old from Aldermaston, Berkshire;
A 20-year-old from Burghfield, Berkshire;
A 16-year-old from Burghfield Common, Berkshire;
An 18-year-old from Mortimer, Berkshire;
A 24-year-old from Bramley, Hampshire;
A 30-year-old from Burghfield Common, Berkshire;
A 20-year-old from Reading, Berkshire;
A 16-year-old from Burghfield Common, Berkshire; and
A 13-year-old from Burghfield Common, Berkshire.
PC Harper’s death has brought attention to the risks to police officers’ lives and, on Sunday (August 18), Home Secretary Priti Patel launched an urgent review of the support provided to those injured or killed on duty.
The police family and members of the public have so far donated more than £140,000 to support PC Harper’s family.
