Killing of Andrew Harper

Common card · No. 226177

On 15 August 2019, Andrew Harper, a 28-year-old Thames Valley Police constable, was killed in the line of duty near Sulhamstead, Berkshire, England. Harper and a fellow officer were responding to a report of a burglary, after which Harper was dragged behind a car for a mile (1.6 km), causing his death. In July 2020, three teenage males were found guilty of manslaughter and received sentences of 16 and 13 years' imprisonment. They were acquitted on the charge of murder. In 2022, "Harper's Law" was passed, introducing a mandatory life sentence for anyone convicted of manslaughter of an emergency worker acting in the line of duty whilst committing a crime. In 2026, Thames Valley Police, the Police Federation of England and Wales, Harper's family, and the public voiced opposition to the Sentencing Act 2026, which would automatically release two of Harper's killers in 2027 after serving half of their sentence.

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