Marlee Kurtis Leonard in Maryborough Magistrates Court after police chase

A senior detective on the Fraser Coast, which has been rattled by a string of serious alleged crimes, peaking with a 30-minute chase through local streets this week, has promised police will act. VIDEO, UPDATE

A senior detective has spoken out about the string of frightening events on the Fraser Coast, the latest allegedly involving a stolen car, sawn-off shotgun and police chase through Maryborough.

It comes amid ongoing, unrelated police investigations into an alleged murder at a Hervey Bay industrial estate, a wild pub brawl in which scooters and poles were sent flying, the armed holdup of a driver who was threatened with a machete and a spike in break and enters in residential streets.

Speaking to reporters in Hervey Bay on Tuesday, following a public pursuit of an alleged stolen car, where the driver jumped into the Mary River, Detective Sergeant David Guild said a sawn-off shotgun was allegedly thrown out the window in the process.

“Police operations over the last couple of weeks have arrested a number of (alleged) offenders for quite serious criminal and street offences, so these activities are ongoing for us and this isn‘t the sort of behaviour we’re going to tolerate or allow in the community,” Detective Sergeant Guild said.

The man who allegedly jumped into the Mary River while fleeing police after shots were fired during an altercation on Monday, has been remanded in custody.

Marlee Kurtis Leonard, 22, is charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle, threatening violence (discharge firearm), possess shortened firearms, unlawful possession of weapons, evading police, driving without a licence, dangerous operation of a vehicle and obstruct police.

On Tuesday morning, his charges were mentioned briefly in Maryborough Magistrates Court where he had been expected to appear but when the court clerk tried to dial in to the watch house, the prison van was arriving so defence lawyer Morgan Harris appeared on his behalf.

No application for bail was made.

Police will allege the Hervey Bay man was involved in a car chase and tried to evade officers by jumping from the Lamington Bridge at Maryborough.

This, they allege, occurred after Mr Leonard was involved in an altercation, during which shots were fired, at a Jupiter Street home about 5.45am.

It will be further alleged by police that Mr Leonard left the scene in a grey Mitsubishi Verada which had been stolen from a Maryborough Hervey Bay Road service station and that officers had attempted to intercept the vehicle, however it failed to stop until it reached the Lamington Bridge and the driver jumped into the river below.

The Lamington Bridge was closed on Monday morning as crews attended the scene.

Emergency service crews then gathered near the river in an effort to rescue the man, but it is understood he made it to shore by himself.

Det Sgt Guild said on Tuesday the decision to jump off the bridge was a “fairly dangerous activity at any time especially since the flooding event recently, so quite dangerous for both the offender and emergency services responding”.

He surrendered to police after approximately half an hour in the river and was found on some flood debris.

Social media has lit up with reports of the incident, including people sharing videos from the chase.

Mr Leonard was arrested and a gun was also seized.