Man shot dead by police in Grange

A “full clinical review” will be undertaken of the hospital treatment a man received the day before he was shot dead by police in Brisbane’s inner north on Sunday.

The scene at Grange on Sunday. Picture: Richard Walker

A “full clinical review” will be undertaken of the hospital treatment a man received the day before he was shot dead by police in Brisbane’s inner north.

The 29-year-old man was shot dead after he lunged at police officers with what they say was a knife on Sunday afternoon.

Police were called to the Days Rd, Grange home about 2.15pm after they received reports a man was armed with a knife, trying to stab his father.

On Sunday it was revealed police were called by paramedics on Saturday and helped escort the man to hospital. The man was taken to hospital from a different address to Sunday’s shooting.

It’s unclear why the 29-year-old man left the hospital or when this happened.

Metro North Hospital and Health Service chief operating officer Jane Hancock on Monday said she was working with operational and clinical leaders at Metro North on a full clinical review and conveyed the organisation’s “sincere condolences” to the man’s family. Several family members were at the Grange home during Sunday’s shooting.

The scene of Sunday’s shooting. Picture: Richard Walker

Ms Hancock also pointed out that health staff were “not able to detain patients without relevant legal authority”.

“No patient in need of care is turned away from our facilities,” she said.

Her comments come after Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers on Monday said “one would have thought” the man would have been given treatment he required at the hospital.

Mr Leavers said the man should have been receiving treatment and questioned why he was in the community.

Officers at the scene. Picture: Richard Walker

Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham said when officers arrived at the Grange address on Sunday the older man had suffered a stab wound to his left hand, which was “quite a deep laceration”, and also had an injury to his shoulder. The man was taken to hospital with non life threatening injuries.

“He also suffered an injury to his left shoulder,” Superintendent Massingham said.

“The person we believe responsible for inflicting that wound was still at the premises, he was approached by police downstairs towards the rear of the property.

“At that time there were two police present, but an additional four officers were called for back-up. A short time later that man lunged at police with what we believe is a knife, which resulted in an officer, a uniformed constable, from a local station, discharging three shots into that person. CPR was commenced immediately, but that man, who is a First Nations’ man, died tragically at the scene some minutes later.”

A man and woman console each other at the scene of the fatal shooting. Picture: Richard Walker

Superintendent Massingham said there was a “large number of family present including close relations of the deceased”. He described the incident as “horrific”.

He said a taser was not deployed during the incident, with police also seizing a pitchfork from the backyard.

“We have also seized a pitchfork from the backyard, the role in which that played in terms of this incident, is not something we’ll know until we’re able to view that bodyworn (camera).”

Emergency services on Days Rd. Picture: Rose Innes

He said the man’s family was there when he was shot and that the shooting would be investigated by the ethical standards command, with overview by the CCC.

“It is a tragic afternoon for the family that were present and witnessed the incident,” he said.

He also said it was “tragic for first responders as well”.

“The officers, all six of them, are now subject of questioning of ethical standards command,” he said.

A woman was heard screaming from the home, “They shot my son”, as forensic crews scoured the scene.

Superintendent Massingham said police and paramedics had been at the home on Saturday for a mental health call.

“QAS and police were at this address (Saturday) in relation to the deceased, in relation to mental health concerns,” he said.

“The nature of the activities involved with treating him (on Saturday) is now subject to the ambit of this investigation as well.”

Grange resident Grant Brosnan said he had lived in his home for three years and “hadn’t heard any commotion” before Sunday.

He said he and others were in the lounge room of their home leading up to event, when they heard three or four shots, which they believed were from police.

Yelling and screaming could be heard coming from the house before the shots.

“We had just woken up and heard the shots,” Mr Brosnan said.

“There was lots of yelling about you’ve shot him, he’s dead, you’ve already killed him. It escalated from there.”

Steven Angus (right) was fatally shot by police in April.

It comes just weeks after police shot a veteran in Townsville just hours after he was released from hospital.

Steven Angus, 52, was shot by police on April 21, a day after officers had spent two hours negotiating with him in a siege situation on Bel Air Av in Kirwan.

When he surrendered the previous day, Mr Angus was taken to Townsville University Hospital - with an expectation he would get mental health care - but was then released without police being told of his discharge.

In relation to the Grange shooting, Mr Leavers said the man over a period of time had been displaying “odd behaviour requiring intervention”.

“On Saturday, police along with the officers from the Queensland Ambulance Service attended and the deceased was taken to hospital by the QAS and the police followed,” Mr Leavers said.

“One would’ve thought when the EA (emergency examination) was being taken out, this person would receive treatment at the hospital.

“This occurred at a different location to the incident that took place yesterday.”

Mr Leavers said he hoped the coroner looked at the actions of the health department.

“This person was taken to hospital the day before and has been released,” he said.

“This is not the first time in Queensland. The health system has and must do better to protect Queenslanders and police are being put in a very difficult situation.”

Mr Leavers said under mental health legislation if an ambulance officer or police officer believes a person is at risk to themselves or others, they took them to hospital for examination.

Queensland Police Union President Ian Leavers. Picture: David Clark

“I believe it is a public expectation that that person would receive the appropriate treatment,” he said.

“This is an incident took place, a tragedy, and I’ll suggest this person should have been receiving treatment, should not have been at large in the community.”

Mr Leavers said police were called to the Grange address in relation to knowing a man had been stabbed.

He said officers found the 29-year-old man under the house when they arrived.

He said the man was “quite aggressive” towards police.

Mr Leavers said an officer had gone to external stairs of the house to try to stop the man from going upstairs where other people were.

“As police were trying to triangulate, the offender armed with a knife and a pitchfork has come at police,” he said.

“And the police officer who was at the stairs tried to retreat and that is when the other police officer used his firearm.

“Prior to the police officer using a firearm a taser was deployed, it was obviously ineffective and it didn’t connect.

“The police officer who has used the firearm has fired more than one shot as this person has been coming towards his colleague.

“We have no doubt had the police officer not have used his firearm, the police officer would have been stabbed in the back with the pitchfork.

“There is a likeliness that that police officer would have been killed. We are very lucky we did not have a murdered police officer yesterday.”

Mr Leavers said there needed to be better information sharing between the health department with police and ambulance officers who were first responders.

“This information needs to be readily available to first response officers,” he said.

“Because without that information it puts everyone at risk.

“I would suggest if a person is taken to hospital because of their mental health - because they are at risk to themselves or someone else - that would raise a flag.

“It would to just about anyone in the community so why does it appear to be treated so lightly by the health department?”

Mr Leavers said it was “even more necessary” for another clinical health review into the man’s death at Grange, given it followed the Townsville death just weeks ago.

“We cannot continue to wait for six to 12 months, or even one to two months, it needs to be done,” he said.

“I think the health department can do better to protect Queenslanders and not put our first response people like our ambulance officers and police officers in this situation.”

It’s understood the officer who shot the man had previous policing experience in New Zealand.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman on Monday said “any death is tragic” and conveyed her “sincere condolences to the man’s family and friends”.

“I am advised that an urgent review of his recent care and treatment is being undertaken,” she said.

“Due to patient confidentiality requirements and the fact that this is the subject of an active police investigation, I am unable to provide any further information at this time.”