Police have no body worn camera footage of Aubrey Donahue shooting at Mareeba, further details released
A woman’s screams for help prompted specialist officers to storm a Mareeba property on Saturday, ending in the shooting death of 27-year-old Aubrey Donahue.
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A woman’s screams for help prompted specialist officers to storm a Mareeba property on Saturday, ending in the shooting death of 27-year-old Aubrey Donahue.
Mr Donahue died following a four-hour siege at a Love Street address on Saturday after police attended following reports the man threatened self-harm.
When specialist officers entered the house at 3.30pm, they fatally shot Mr Donahue after police alleged he was armed with a knife and advanced on the officers.
Police provided an update on their investigations on Wednesday, officially confirming for the first time there was no police body worn camera footage available of the actual shooting of Mr Aubrey.
“The issue of the police body worn camera (BWC) footage has been subject of commentary in the public arena,” the spokesman said.
“Queensland Police can confirm there is no BWC vision available of the actual shooting of the male by police.
“All other available BWC will be reviewed as part of the investigation.”
Police were sent to Love St just before 11.30am following reports of a domestic violence incident where a man was holding a woman hostage and threatening self-harm.
“Preliminary investigations indicate a female person was screaming for help, causing the police to immediately respond,” the spokesman said.
“The man presented a knife in close proximity to officers resulting in the man being shot by specialist police”.
The spokesman said the matter remained under investigation by the QPS Ethical Standards Command on behalf of the State Coroner and subject to oversight by the Crime and Corruption Commission.
“At the conclusion of that investigation a report will be prepared and forwarded to the
Officer of the State Coroner for consideration,” the spokesman said.
“Inherent in any police interaction with the community, is the underlying risk that a situation may be immediately volatile, or rapidly escalate to a violent confrontation to which the officer must quickly respond.”
Mr Donahue’s shooting death prompted an outpouring of anger and grief from Mareeba’s Indigenous community.
On Monday, Mr Donahue’s twin brother Algen, after being granted bail on a charge from the Mareeba Court House, led an angry protest march through the main street of the Tablelands town in response to the death.
The crowd waved signs that read “stop killing us” and “black lives matter” while slamming fists into road signs, throwing bottles, and spitting at the feet of police officers stationed along the route.
Outside court, Desley Ketchup, the mother of Aubrey Donahue, demanded justice and that the officer responsible be investigated.
“This is traumatising me,” she said.
“I want answers, just give me the answers. I want justice, that’s all I want.”
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