Man shot dead on Bruce Highway ‘pointed rifle at police’

A man shot dead by police on a Queensland highway had pulled over and got out of a car, aiming a rifle at officers, leaving them with “no option”, authorities say.

The 36-year-old died after the shooting on the Bruce Highway at Colosseum, about an hour’s drive south of Gladstone, on Monday morning.

Regional Crime Coordinator Detective Superintendent Darrin Shadlow said police had received reports that a vehicle was stolen with a long-arm rifle inside.

Shadlow said the man, armed with the rifle, went to the home of a 61-year-old woman in Colosseum, where he demanded her keys and stole a second vehicle, destroying a gate on the way out.

Patrolling police later came across the stolen car on the Bruce Highway, where it pulled to the side of the road.

“A male person has got out of that vehicle armed with a rifle. The male person has pointed that rifle at police,” Shadlow told media on Tuesday morning.

“Subsequently, police have confronted him, called upon him to drop the firearm. He didn’t do that, and unfortunately police had to engage and subsequently shot that male person.”

Officers performed CPR immediately, Shadlow said, before paramedics arrived.

The man was known to police, and had been in the area a short time, having previously lived in Cairns.

Shadlow said the rifle was loaded. He could not confirm how many shots were fired by the officers, but said two of the three officers had discharged their weapons.

He said the officers – two male and one female – were shaken up after the incident, but support was being offered to them.

“Unfortunately, this male person has given the police no option on this occasion,” he said.

The investigation was continuing, with police urging anyone with information to come forward.

“Our forensic officers did examine the scene yesterday and late into the night,” Shadlow said.

“The scene was beside the Bruce Highway, so unfortunately the Bruce Highway was shut for a considerable time last night.”