Police allegedly assaulted responding to call at Falconer St in Southport

A senior officer has warned that police are not anyone’s “punching bag” after officers were allegedly sprayed in the face with a chemical substance and had a keg thrown at them.

A senior officer has warned that police are not anyone’s “punching bag” after four officers were allegedly sprayed in the face with a chemical substance and had a keg thrown at them while responding to a call.

Noreen Michael Gallagher, 62, Alan Arthur Gallagher-Wright, 34, Steven Gallagher, 41, and Jyle Gallager, 25, all faced Southport Magistrates Court on Monday charged with four counts each of serious assault of a police officer.

The four were charged after an alleged confrontation with police responding to reports of a domestic and family violence incident at a property on Falconer St in Southport at about 9.30pm on Saturday.

The altercation broke out after residents of the property allegedly attempted to deny entry to police, who have authority to enter premises to investigate alleged domestic and family violence matters.

Chief Superintendent Craig Hanlon. Picture: Keith Woods.

“A disturbance occurred between attending police and the people in the premises, with the people in the premises allegedly using a spray (which they) were spraying the faces of police officers,” Chief Superintendent Craig Hanlon said.

“They also allegedly had a handheld Taser device and tried to use that on police, as well as throwing some metal objects at police.

“Eventually police forced entry. We used our pepper spray on people and we also Tasered a couple of those people.”

The four officers allegedly sprayed in the face with what was described as a propellant spray were all taken to Gold Coast University Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. They were released a short time later.

Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics who were waiting a short distance away while police went in first were not injured in the incident.

Chief Supt Hanlon said police were still investigating the alleged domestic and family violence matter that prompted them to attend the address, with initial reports to emergency services having suggested that “significant violence” was believed to have been occurring.

“Unfortunately due to the conduct and behaviour of people at the residence we haven’t been able to fully investigate the cause of our initial response there which was the domestic and family violence call-out,” he said. “They’re not co-operating.”

Chief Supt Hanlon said police were not anyone’s “punching bag” and would do “everything in our power” to hold people to account when such behaviour occurred.

“It’s frustrating. Emergency services personnel – police, fire and paramedics – we’re out there to maintain the safety of our people and to make sure the community’s expectations are upheld. We’re not the punching bags of people,” he said.

“These accused people are all old enough, and should be mature enough to know you can’t do that. Yes, we’re going to have disagreements with people, but violence is not the way out.

“If anyone wants to use violence towards our police we will do everything in our power to hunt them down and put them before the courts.

“It’s totally unacceptable and we will not accept any of that behaviour.”

The four people accused of assaulting police were each granted bail and their cases adjourned to October 1.

Police investigations into the alleged domestic and family violence incident and alleged possession of a Taser are continuing.

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Originally published as Police allegedly assaulted responding to call at Falconer St in Southport