A car thief has pleaded not guilty to murdering Constable Anthony Woods, who died after he was mowed down and dragged under a car during an arrest last year.

February 21, 2024

A man accused of running over and killing a young West Australian police constable while attempting to avoid arrest has pleaded not guilty to the officer’s murder.

Reagan Ainslie Chown, 23, faced Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court on Wednesday and admitted reckless driving to escape a police pursuit and stealing a motor vehicle in June last year.

But he denied murdering Constable Anthony Woods, 28, who died from his injuries in hospital several days after he was hit by the car and dragged underneath it.

Const Woods and other officers had been following the car, allegedly bearing stolen number plates, through Ascot in Perth’s east about 1am.

It came to a stop and as the officers tried to detain the three occupants, Const Woods was struck by the car.

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.

Const Woods’ death caused an outpouring of grief across Australia.

He was farewelled and honoured at a funeral attended by about 2000 officers, his family, friends, and senior politicians including federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and WA Premier Roger Cook.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who did not personally attend, paid tribute to Const Woods as a “young man cruelly robbed of his future … an Australian who went to work and never came home”.

He said all Australians joined the officer’s family in mourning.

After the service, officers formed a guard of honour stretching about 800 metres as the hearse departed.

Flags flew at half-mast at police stations across WA after the tragedy and the fallen officer was honoured in federal parliament as someone who exemplified the values of the force.

Chown, who is in custody, pleaded guilty to stealing a motor vehicle between March 7 and June 7 last year and reckless driving to escape pursuit by police on June 8, 2023.

He is scheduled to appear in the Supreme Court on June 10.