On this day
Leading Senior Constable
Keith Alexander PATTERSON
YEAR OF DEATH
07 September 2018
JURISDICTION
Victoria
DETAILS OF DEATH
Keith Alexander Patterson joined Victoria Police on 10 February 1986. In 2004, Leading Senior Constable Patterson received a replacement heart valve. Keith recovered from the surgery which was unrelated to his occupation and returned to active duty. On the 12th May 2005 at 0200 hours, Leading Senior Constable Patterson was escorting a prisoner to the rear of the police divisional van to place him inside the van. Whilst being escorted, the prisoner began to resist and during this incident Leading Senior Constable Patterson sustained a deep wound to his left hand which required medical treatment. He developed a staph infection as a result of this injury that spread to his previously operated heart valve and graft. This was a very serious infection that required major and difficult surgery which was carried out in June 2005. Leading Senior Constable Patterson was very ill and was off work a significant period of time. In March 2006 Leading Senior Constable Patterson returned to work in a non-operational capacity. In March 2007, the Police Medical Officer recommended that he continue to perform non-operational duties. Over time the replacement valve became infected but due to the staph infection was unable to undergo further surgery. The onset of this infection had a marked effect on his health and significantly contributed to Keith’s passing prematurely on 7 September 2018 from organ failure. In May 2019, Victoria Police recognised the serious injury he sustained by awarding a posthumous Victoria Police Star to his family during a Police Graduation Parade.
