Police shooting: Disabled man dies after siege, exchange of gunfire in country Victoria

A man living with disabilities has been shot dead by police during an exchange of gunfire after an hours-long hostage situation on a neighbour’s rural Victorian property.

Police were called to a property on Menzies Drive in Daisy Hill, a tiny community south of Maryborough in the Victorian Goldfields, at about 3pm on Thursday after a 39-year-old man allegedly fired shots inside a shed.

A man was fatally shot by police at a property in Daisy Hill, near Maryborough. Credit: Nine news

A second man told police the 39-year-old gunman had confronted him and narrowly missed shooting him.

Western Region Assistant Commissioner Mick Grainger said on Friday that the gunman had hidden inside the shed when police arrived, making threats to shoot officers and suggesting he had a knife and explosives.

The police dog squad, critical incident response team and special operations group were all called in to help, but the man “wasn’t keen at all on engaging with police”, Grainger said.

He was shot dead seven hours later.

“Unfortunately, a confrontation occurred just prior to 10pm where the male exited the shed, produced a firearm and shot at police. Sadly, they were forced to respond,” Grainger told reporters.

The 39-year-old man was carrying a homemade gun, possibly a shotgun, Grainger said.

Neighbours said the man lived with mental and physical disabilities.

He dealt with “continual pain” and was due to go into surgery before he was killed, a person close to him said.

The homicide squad is investigating.Credit: Nine news

The 39-year-old man held a local father and son hostage inside their own garage for about four hours during the siege, a neighbour told The Age.

The man threatened the pair but did not physically hurt them, the neighbour said. The father was allowed out to speak to police, while his son was held hostage for another 90 minutes before the 39-year-old allowed him to leave, the neighbour said.

“It could have been a lot worse,” the neighbour said. “I don’t even think he knew what he was doing.”

Earlier, Grainger said the 39-year-old man did not live at the property where he was killed, and claimed the owners of the shed did not know he was there.

The gunman lived nearby on Menzies Drive, neighbours said. Police confirmed nobody else was physically injured in the incident.

“I must reiterate that police members undergo very rigorous firearms and operational tactics training on how to deal with armed offenders, with the safety of the community and our officers as a number one priority,” Grainger said.

“It’s incredibly sad for everyone involved.

“We are not looking for any other offenders. The community is safe.”

Homicide squad detectives will investigate the man’s death, with oversight from Victoria Police’s professional standards command, as is standard procedure for any death in custody.

Police urged anyone with information about the incident to contact Crime Stoppers.

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