Stretton, Coomera police shootings as men allegedly brandish bladed weapons

A man was locked in a garage by his wife moments before he allegedly charged at police and was shot twice. Police say the woman and their children were forced to flee the scene.

Two men have been shot by police in separate incidents as they were allegedly wielding bladed weapons on Sunday.

A 43-year-old Stretton man was shot at an address in Liquidambar Place, Stretton, on Brisbane’s southside about 7.30pm, when he allegedly advanced on officers with a large bladed weapon.

It came four hours after a 29-year-old man – identified as Joshua John Kleeman – was shot at Bellagio Crescent, Coomera, with police alleging he was brandishing a knife.

The alleged Stretton knifeman was transported to Princess Alexandra Hospital in a serious but stable condition where he underwent emergency surgery.

The man’s wife and four children, who were at the residence at the time, jumped the fence into a neighbouring property where they were able to seek refuge.

The fence the wife and children of an alleged knifemen shot by police leapt to get to safety. Picture: Samantha Scott

The next door neighbour said the family stayed at her property last night for a “few hours”.

She said when she heard the doorbell ring last night she was “surprised” because it was “quite late at night”.

“I could see that they were really scared so I let them in,” she said.

“The police were already there when they get into my house otherwise I would have been scared that things could quickly change.

“They have lived in the street for a few years – but we don’t know each other too well.”

The Ethical Standards Command was investigating, with oversight by the Crime and Corruption Commission.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham said the Stretton man remained in a serious but stable condition in hospital after he was shot twice.

Police at the scene of a shooting at Stretton on Sunday night. Picture: Twitter/9 News

Police responded within three minutes of the initial call for help.

Police will allege the man made two attempts to attack the officers at the scene.

“What I can say is that man was intent and was highly motivated to cause injury to one of our officers,” he said.

“At the time that this occurred the male person was armed with what I would describe as a large metal sharpening file.

“He was armed with that in the garage area of the residence, there had been a rapidly evolving domestic situation between his wife and himself, prior to him entering the garage.

“Due to the erratic nature of the male and his behaviour, the wife has locked him into the garage area. One of the garage doors facing outward towards us was open.”

Det Supt Massingham said some of the children had fled into the backyard and were hiding behind bushes, asking neighbours for help.

Police spoke to the man in the garage area and called negotiators to come to the scene.

“But only a matter of a few moments later the male person ran down the slope of the driveway towards an officer who was standing on the left hand side of that besserblock bollard you see, to the left hand side of that station wagon vehicle,” Supt Massingham said.

“At that time he was armed with the implement … he has confronted the officer very quickly.”

Det Supt Massingham said the officer shot the man once in the left hip.

“After being struck the male then lunged towards the officer with the implement,” Supt Massingham said.

Police claim the man was armed with a knife and kept charging at them even after being shot. Picture: Taylah Fellows

“The officer then fired a second time, striking the offender in the left shoulder.

“At that time the offender has then thrown the implement at the officer, it missed him and landed some five metres behind the attending police.”

The incident was recorded on body-worn police cameras.

The children and the man’s 41-year-old wife were taken away from the scene by police.

Supt Massingham said police had not been called to the address before and there hadn’t been any domestic violence or mental health history linked to the people involved.

“So the motivations around what has occurred here last night are simply unclear at this stage,” he said.

Supt Massingham said the man’s behaviour was rapidly escalating. He said the man’s wife had taken him into the garage and locked him in there.

“There was also mention by him of arming himself with a broom or something similar, prior to arrival of police, but there are no injuries to any other parties.”

Supt Massingham said tasers were only an option for police in certain circumstances.

“And when we have situations where we have narrow areas, particularly steep driveways where people can appear on top of you very quickly, the application of a taser in some of those instances is not effective,” he said.

“And it’s an operational decision based on the circumstances you are being faced as to which option.

“Last night the only option that police were left with was lethal use of force.”

The officer who fired the shots is a senior constable and has been interviewed overnight.

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers said it would be alleged that the officers had “no other option” after trying to negotiate with the man and “were in fear of their lives”.

He said it was a “police officer’s worst nightmare”.

“They shot the male person who has dropped, got up again and continued to come at police again and they have shot him a second time,” Mr Leavers said.

Mr Leavers said the actions of the officers, who immediately rendered first aid, “probably saved this man’s life”.

“The prognosis is positive.”

Mr Leavers said police were working to understand why he allegedly became violent.

“It’s extremely confronting for police who are trying to negotiate, they had calls for negotiators to attend the scene but clearly they were not able to be here in that time frame and sadly (he) became very unpredictable,” Mr Leavers said.

“I’m advised it was a metal-edged weapon and it was quite large, certainly a lot bigger than a kitchen knife.

“That weapon, should a police officer have been attacked with that weapon and stabbed, they may not have survived.

“They had to try and defend their own lives.”

Police investigate after a man was shot several times by officers on the Gold Coast. Picture: Richard Gosling

Meanwhile on the Gold Coast, a 29-year-old man – identified as Joshua John Kleeman – was shot at Bellagio Crescent, Coomera, with police alleging he was brandishing a knife.

Witnesses said they heard yelling and multiple shots.

Police said the man was shot several times.

A Queensland police spokesman said officers attended the address at 3.20pm Sunday for a welfare check, after reports the man had ­attempted self-harm.

Police allege the man answered the door brandishing a knife and lunged toward officers and was subsequently shot.

Three Coomera Police Station officers – an experienced male sergeant and a male and female constable with three to five years on the force – attended.

More than one fired their weapons during the incident, all captured on body-worn cameras.

Resident Olyvia Lucas said she was shocked by the noise.

“There was yelling and screaming and then 20 seconds later I heard five gunshots,” she claimed.

“I saw a man in bandages being taken away by the ambulance,” Ms Lucas said.

Police at the scene of the Coomera shooting. Picture: Richard Gosling

Long-time Bellagio Crescent resident David Stewart was sitting in his games room with his flatmates when he heard the gunshots ring out just metres from his front door.

“I heard four bullet shots, and in 10 years of living here I have never heard anything like it,” he said.

At the scene, police Regional Crime Co-ordinator Detective Superintendent Brendan Smith said the shot man was in a critical condition and undergoing surgery at the Gold Coast University Hospital.

“The matter has occurred in relation to a call for assistance in relation to his potential mental health concerns and on arrival here he has confronted police with a knife and they have had to take actions to defend themselves,” he said.

“He was asked several occasions to put the knife down, he failed to comply with that and rushed at police.”