Police deployed a Taser on a man after he was shot twice by an officer during an altercation in Brisbane’s south on Friday morning.
A senior constable, 40, was also shot in the leg by his own weapon in the incident, at a house on Tamar Street, Annerley at about 9.13am.
Police said they were called after reports of a trespass. They alleged the man, 26, was holding a piece of timber, and did not live in the area.
Brisbane region acting assistant commissioner, Rhys Wildman, said the two officers on scene, including a first-year constable, attempted to deescalate the situation.
“However, the male approached the officers and a struggle commenced,” he said.
“The offender lunged for a firearm, belonging to the senior constable. During the struggle for that particular firearm, the firearm discharged, and the senior constable received a gunshot wound to the left inner thigh.”
A second police officer on the scene fired his weapon twice, hitting the man in his stomach. He then conducted first aid on his partner.
Wildman said the alleged offender remained agitated and when backup officers arrived they were forced to use a Taser on him, before putting him under arrest.
The younger officer has also been treated for a bite wound from the alleged offender, Wildman said.
He said the officers had faced an “extremely difficult” and “unusual” set of circumstances and “had to take every step they could to protect everyone’s safety”.
On Friday afternoon, Wildman said the alleged offender was undergoing surgery in a serious condition at Princess Alexandra hospital. The senior constable was in a stable condition, he said.
No charges have been laid.
Wildman emphasised that many of the exact details of the incident were not known, including why the man was at the home.
Neighbours said they heard shouting from the address that morning. Th incident will now be investigated by the ethical standards command, with oversight by the Crime and Corruption Commission, a standard practice for police use of force. There will also be a simultaneous criminal investigation.
Tamar Street was entirely blocked off by police on Friday morning, and part of the road was taped off as a crime scene.
The premier, David Crisafulli, said incidents such as these send “a shiver up your spine”.
“It shows you why people respect the men and women in the Queensland police service so very much,” he told reporters.
“If wrongdoing is found to have occurred, I’d like to see the strongest of signals sent to make sure that people who sign up to be police officers know that the system will protect them when they’re going about their business,” he said.
Source: www.theguardian.com