Hero Cop Shot Dead at Croydon Custody Centre
Tragic Shooting of Sgt Ratana
On September 25, 2020, Sgt Ratana, 54, also known as Matt, was shot in the chest while arresting a handcuffed suspect at Croydon Custody Centre. The brave officer died just two months before his retirement.
Suspect Also Wounded and in Court
Louis De Zoysa, 25, from Banstead, Surrey, was shot in the neck during the struggle. He was rushed to hospital and later appeared at Northampton Crown Court via video link.
Now in a wheelchair with his right arm in a sling, De Zoysa pleaded not guilty by holding up a whiteboard bearing the words “not guilty”. An intermediary assisted him during the hearing.
De Zoysa currently remains a patient at St Andrews Healthcare, a nearby brain injury facility. His trial is set for June 6 in Northampton.
Tributes to a ‘Talented Officer with a Big Heart’
Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick paid tribute to Sgt Ratana, praising him as a “talented officer” with a “big heart” following his death. The loss has rocked the police community and highlighted the dangers faced by frontline officers every day.
