A murder charge will be laid against the accused driver of a car that ran over and killed a young West Australian police officer, who is being remembered as a funny, hardworking and devoted husband.
Constable Anthony Woods, 28, succumbed to his injuries on Sunday night after being placed in an induced coma following the incident on Thursday.
Reagan Ainsley Chown, 23, faced Perth Magistrates Court on Friday charged with multiple offences including committing an act intended to prevent arrest which caused grievous bodily harm and reckless driving to escape police pursuit.
"We will be upgrading the charges to murder," Police Commissioner Col Blanch said on Monday.
Const Woods and other officers had been following the car, allegedly bearing stolen number plates, through Ascot in Perth's east about 1am on Thursday.
It came to a stop and as the officers tried to detain the three occupants, Const Woods was hit by the vehicle and dragged underneath.
His fellow officers had to lift the car off him and attempted CPR at the scene before he was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
Mr Blanch said Const Woods would be honoured with a full police funeral but he would speak with the officer's family about what they wanted.
Const Woods had just passed his probation with the force, having volunteered at the PCYC before joining the police cadets in 2019 and moving into the recruit squad in 2021.
Mr Blanch read a statement from Const Woods' wife Emily, who thanked those who went to her husband's aid and described the family's shattering loss.
"He was a devoted husband, a loving son, brother and uncle who was taken from this Earth far too soon," it read.
"Anthony will be remembered as a funny, hardworking man who loved the West Coast Eagles and mucking around with his mates.
"He brought light and laughter to every situation and his wicked sense of humour is irreplaceable."
The commissioner went to Belmont police station on Sunday night to be with Const Woods' colleagues.
"There was a lot of tears but there was a lot of laughter and that's exactly what mum and the family wanted," Mr Blanch said.
The officers who were with the 28-year-old on the night will be recognised in due course, he said.
Flags at all police stations across the state will go to half mast.
The WA Police Union said Const Woods' death would devastate all first responders.
"It is with overwhelming sadness that we say farewell to one of our courageous members of the blue family," the union said in a statement.
"No police officer should ever not go home to their loved ones at the end of their shift."
The last time a person was charged in WA with causing a police officer's death is believed to have been in 2007 when Constable Damien Murphy was run over by an unlicensed driver who was later jailed for manslaughter.
Premier Roger Cook said he was shocked by Const Woods' "senseless" death.
"I know I speak on behalf of everyone in WA, in sending our love and thoughts to Anthony's family, friends and colleagues," he said.
"His life was dedicated to making our state a safer place for Western Australians."
Chown, 23, was remanded in custody to face court again on July 7.
A 20-year-old woman and 25-year-old man who were allegedly in the stolen car have been released pending further investigation.
Detectives are urging anyone who was near High Wycombe, Belmont and Redcliffe and may have seen a white Holden Cruze sedan or police vehicle travelling with lights and sirens between midnight and 1.30am to contact Crime Stoppers.
