EXCLUSIVE
A brave police officer who intervened to stop a colleague from physically assaulting a young woman tragically lost her life in a diving accident.
Constable First Class Cassandra Chapman was off-duty and enjoying a dive at Trigg Beach, northwest of Perth, on Tuesday when she got into trouble about 10.30am
Emergency services were called to the scene after beachgoers raised the alarm that she was in danger, but despite their best efforts, they were unable to save her.
Unconfirmed reports suggest she became trapped under a ledge while underwater.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal Constable Chapman, who was in her 40s, was a highly respected member of WA Police.
Last year, she became embroiled in a high-profile trial after her superior, Constable First Class Alister Swift, was charged with assault after dragging and kicking a woman during an illegal arrest.
The incident occurred in 2020 when two officers were called to a domestic violence incident at a home in Cloverdale, east of Perth, involving a man and a woman.
Police had been talking to the man about whether he wanted a protective order against the woman, who then abused Swift.
Cassandra ‘Cass’ Chapman (pictured) tragically died in a diving incident on Tuesday
Police are pictured at Trigg Beach in Perth after Constable Chapman found trouble in the water.
Swift decided to arrest her, pushing the woman into a bedroom and putting handcuffs on her, only for Officer Chapman to remove them and help her wash her hands and face.
Swift then handcuffed her again and pushed the woman against her partner’s car.
Officer Chapman reproached him for his behavior and said, “What are you doing?” and ‘You’re out of line.’
Swift then kicked the woman while trying to get her into a police vehicle. When Officer Chapman stopped him, he responded, “Do what I tell you, I’m your superior.”
Swift, who was charged when Constable Chapman complained about his behaviour, was sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty by a jury of assault occasioning bodily harm and deprivation of liberty.
During his sentencing hearing in November, Judge Mara Barone praised Officer Chapman for risking his career to testify against his colleague, saying he had lived up to society’s expectations of how a police officer should behave.
‘Officer Chapman does not deserve your ridicule. “You didn’t deserve it that day and you don’t deserve it now,” Judge Barone told Swift.
‘Officer Chapman did exactly what the community expects of a police officer. You did the complete opposite.
Her actions were also praised by members of the public, with one person writing online: ‘What kind of miracle has happened for a police officer like Cassandra Chapman to exist?’
Constable Chapman was a beloved member of the Collie PCYC before leaving in April to pursue his ‘dream job’.
Emergency services, including police and surf lifeguards, were called to the scene after the alarm was raised that the woman was in danger (pictured police and beach visitors at the scene).
“We need thousands more like her and none like Alister Swift.”
In more recent years, Constable Chapman had been an active member of the community in Collie, a town of around 7,600 people located 186 kilometers south of Perth.
A local news article from April of last year shows her pictured alongside someone dressed as an Easter Bunny as they prepared to hand out Easter eggs around town.
He also served as a Collie PCYC Youth Police Officer, where he participated in events and accompanied children on field trips.
In April this year, the PCYC announced that she was leaving to take up her “dream job in forensics” and that “she would be sadly missed by our staff and young people”.
Tributes have begun to pour in online for Constable Chapman, who has been remembered as a “lovely person”.
“She was more than a first-class agent, she was a first-class person with an infectious smile and a big heart,” one person said.
In a statement about Chapman’s death, WA Police said the tragedy had hit colleagues hard.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are extended to his family and colleagues,” the force said.
“Dealing with life-or-death situations is a daily reality for first responders, but incidents involving one of our own are especially difficult for our officers.”
