Officer Nathan Mulholland awarded Bravery Medal after averting 2010 ambush

A South Australian Police officer was awarded a Bravery Medal for his alertness in averting an ambush in 2010.

Brevet Sergeants Tung Tran and Nathan Mulholland averted becoming victims of a fatal shooting ambush in 2010.

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The night Brevet Sergeant Nathan Mulholland and his partner Brevet Sergeant Tung Tran were shot at is now almost eight years past but the brush with death is never far from Sgt Mulholland’s mind, especially when he is on the job.

The 33-year-old is now based out of the Yorke-Mid North Local Service Area and has been awarded a Bravery Medal for his actions in the early morning of May 25, 2010.

He and Sgt Tran - both then constables - had been lured to a house in Paralowie, responding to calls over a disturbance when they encountered Daniel Paul Vansetten armed with an AR-15 rifle.

As soon as Sgt Mulholland got to the door he had a “gut feeling” that the situation wasn’t right.

“There were just a few things that didn’t add up,” Sgt Mulholland said.

Vansetten said “you’ve been set up” and fired a shot through the screen door, showering the two young officers with shrapnel.

Sgt Mulholland pushed Sgt Tran out of the way of the door and told him to run.

“It was a turn and go kind of moment,” Sgt Mulholland said.

“I said to a few people afterwards that we would have looked pretty ridiculous if it had turned out to be something totally innocent, but thankfully instincts just kicked in.”

Vansetten was arrested after reinforcements arrived but both officers suffered shrapnel wounds when the bullet fragmented in the door jamb.

“It would be a couple of times a week that it pops into my mind.  It’s probably more when I’m on the job and I hear something over the radio like another patrol asking for assistance.”

After the incident, Sgt Mulholland said he struggled to return to day to day life but over the years he tried to lead the most “normal life” he could.

Sgt Mulholland said he was hesitant when he first found out about the award but said the description of the medal piqued his interest.

“I looked at the what the bravery medal was and some of the descriptive words that stood out were about members of the community putting themselves forward to protect others,” Sgt Mulholland said.

“Making a deliberate choice to go from a place of safety to provide help. It made me think that police almost every day are going into these situations and doing amazing work.

“Usually there is some form of danger and some do get injured and their isn’t always that recognition from the community.

“People see police when their lives are falling apart, they don’t realise that police can go through that themselves.”