Former Mt Barker officer-in-charge remembers fallen partner and mate for National Police Remembrance Day

A Mt Barker police officer who was shot and killed while on duty in 1979 was remembered by colleague and mate Sgt Jim Keelan last week as the country paused for National Police Remembrance Day. First Class Const. William Pense and Second Class Sgt Keelan were on the job in Mt Barker in 1979, the fateful day Const. Pense lost his life during a warrant call that went horribly wrong. Mr Keelan was Mt Barker’s officer-in-charge at the time, and the pair drove together to a farming property near town to deliver a warrant to Donald Parre. During a moving video tribute to Const. Pense on WA Police Force’s social media, Mr Keelan recalled clearly driving up to the house on that day almost 50 years ago. Parre opened fire on the pair with a rifle shortly after they arrived on the property. “Bill stayed at the van, which was about 50m away from the house, I went up to the house and knocked on the door and then Bill yelled at me to be careful because the bloke had been in a shed further back and he had a rifle,” Mr Keelan said. “He shot me twice, and then he obviously shot Bill as well because there was blood on the car when I came back over to the car. “While I was getting the gun out of the holster, which was still in the car, Bill took off and went over because obviously he saw this bloke coming and he wanted to do something about it. He took off while I got the gun out and I went over there and he had already killed Bill.” Sgt Keelan was shot in the wrist and stomach, but was able to drive a short distance away and call for back-up from Albany. Officers were able to arrest Parre when they arrived. He drove to a nearby service station and waited until police back-up and ambulances arrived, then was rushed to hospital. His wife Rhonda also told of the call she received saying her husband had been shot, and said there was “no doubt” Const. Pense had saved his life that day. Sgt Keelan returned home with his life but without his mate and fellow officer, and said the increasing commonness of ordeals like his should not be forgotten or overlooked. But he also insisted a life in policing was worth the risks that came with the job. “You do it to help the majority of people to sort out their problems, and to look after those who can’t look after themselves, just to make things better really,” he said. Mr Pense posthumously received the George Medal in honour of his selfless actions, one of the highest honours awarded to a police officer. Sgt Keelan returned to the police force after his recovery, and remained an officer until he was able to retire, eventually moving back to Perth. Parre was sentenced to death by hanging, but had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment without parole in 1980. He died in 2006 in Albany Regional Prison.