Michael Anthony Whiting QPM

Died

5 May 1973

Age

Rank

Police Constable

Force

Metropolitan Police

Cause

Homicide - Vehicle

Duty Status

On Duty

Roll of Honour Citation

Having pursued a car he was killed when he made an attempt to enter the vehicle to arrest the driver. Posthumously awarded The Queen’s Police Medal for Gallantry

Roll of Honour Citation

Having pursued a car he was killed when he made an attempt to enter the vehicle to arrest the driver. Posthumously awarded The Queen’s Police Medal for Gallantry

Circumstances

Sustained fatal injuries when he was thrown from a car whose suspicious movements had led police to question the driver, and whose driver tried to escape at reckless speed, deliberately colliding with other vehicles to try and shake him off.

Posthumously awarded the Queen's Police Medal for Gallantry.

Constable Whiting was on duty in the West End of London in a police van with another officer. They were behind a Jaguar car waiting at traffic lights, which moved off quickly and turned left sharply when the lights changed to green. The officers’ suspicions were aroused, and they decided to stop the Jaguar. The car went the wrong way around a round-about and continued at speed, swerving from lane to lane, until eventually it stopped at traffic lights. Constable Whiting got out of the police van and opened the front passenger door of the Jaguar to speak to the occupants. The car moved off, and Constable Whiting began running along beside it, holding on to the door and the roof.

The other officer ran from the police van to his assistance, and tried to take the ignition keys but was unable to do so. With both officers running alongside, the car moved on until it collided with a van. The driver made no attempt to stop the car but kept his foot hard on the accelerator, trying to push the van out of the way. Eventually the van veered to the right and the Jaguar shot forward. The other officer had to jump clear to avoid being crushed between the Jaguar and the van. Constable Whiting had his feet inside the car and, although he could have jumped off, he continued to hang on. As the Jaguar sped away the occupants of the car tried to dislodge Constable Whiting, but he continued resolutely while in grave personal danger, to try and force the Jaguar and its occupants to stop. Eventually he was thrown from the Jaguar as it collided with another car, and landed in the roadway. His skull was fractured and he died the same day.

Constable Whiting was posthumously awarded The Queen’s Police Medal for Gallantry.