Norman James

DETAILS OF DEATH

At 9.22pm on Thursday 20 July 2000 information was received at the Rockhampton communications room regarding a serious domestic dispute that was taking place on a property at Alton Downs 15kms north-west of Rockhampton. An ex-serviceman named Royce William Cooper (58yrs) had fired three (3) shots at a friend during an argument at the property. Senior Constable Norm Watt the dog squad officer on duty was one of a number of police directed to attend the scene. Officers arrived at the property and immediately placed a cordon around the residence. In the darkness Cooper had exited his house and camouflaged himself amongst bushes in the yard. At a little after midnight Senior Constable Watt and another officer went to view the house from another vantage point. As Senior Constable Watt moved toward the house a shot was heard and Senior Constable Watt fell to the ground. Fellow officers were unable to safely approach their fallen colleague to render assistance as they were unaware of Cooper’s exact location. An armoured vehicle from the Rockhampton correctional Centre was summoned and recovered the body of Senior Constable Watt. The officer was officially pronounced dead at 3.47am. A post mortem examination revealed that the bullet had severed Senior Constable Watt’s femoral artery causing death within minutes of being hit. After a seven hour siege Cooper surrendered to police. He was later charged and convicted of murder in the Rockhampton Supreme Court and sentenced to life imprisonment. Senior Constable Norman James Watt is buried in the Nerimbera Memorial Cemetery Rockhampton.