Police trio race into Garbutt house inferno as machete man lurks

Three brave police officers risked their lives in a terrifying late-night standoff, charging into a smoke-choked Townsville home as a man armed with a machete and tomahawk axe roamed inside.

Senior Constable Sarah Berryman, Senior Constable Daniel Lee and Senior Constable Deniel Unitt have been awarded district officers certificates at the Townsville District Honors' and Awards ceremony. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Three brave Townsville police officers risked their lives in a terrifying late-night standoff, charging into a smoke-choked home as a man armed with a machete and tomahawk axe roamed inside.

Senior Constables Deniel Unitt, Sarah Berryman and Daniel Lee from the Townsville Tactical Crime Squad were called to a domestic violence incident on Lonerganne Street, Garbutt, just after 2am on 27 October, 2024.

Inside, a man had barricaded himself into his ex-partner’s home, armed and agitated, and making repeated threats against police.

His ex and her child had already been safely evacuated.

When the officers breached the locked rear door, they were confronted by the man — weapons in hand — before he disappeared back into the house.

Moments later, flames erupted from inside.

“He lit a fire on the stairs and went up to the second level,” Senior Constable Unitt said.

“I’m not sure why, the only reason I could think of would be to make it harder for us to get him.”

Smoke alarms wailed, and visibility dropped as the smoke filled the house.

Despite not knowing where the armed man was hiding, the officers made the call to head back in — not once, but multiple times — to contain the blaze.

“He’d made threats all night that he was going to attack police with those weapons, which is why we were there to begin with,” Senior Constable Unitt said.

“So that was definitely in our minds, the last thing we wanted was him drawing us in to put the fire out then he pops out somewhere.

“That’s why all three of us went in. Dan and Sarah were in there to provide cover while I focused on the fire.

“We couldn’t really see at all with all the smoke, and it was dark, but when you use torches in the smoke like that, they sort of just flare out, so we couldn’t really see anything.”

Once the fire was extinguished, the officers returned to their inner cordon position at the rear door.

A short time later, the armed person confronted the officers again.

The officers, however, maintained their position and provided negotiators with a safe working environment to negotiate with the armed person, who then disarmed himself and surrendered into police custody.

Senior Constable Unitt said they were just happy they were able to de-escalate the situation.

“He came out and got seen by an ambulance. He was fine, just a little bit of smoke inhalation.“

The officers’ actions in dangerous circumstances undoubtedly prevented harm to the armed person and neighbouring residents and extensive property damage.

The trio were acknowledged for their bravery with a District Officer’s Certificate at the Townsville District Honors’ and Awards Ceremony this week.

Originally published as Police trio race into Garbutt house inferno as machete man lurks