Watch: Terrifying moment man fleeing cops locks himself in costume shop

A Brisbane costume store owner has recounted the terrifying moment a wanted man fleeing police locked himself in her shop, minutes after a woman and a baby had left. SEE THE VIDEO

A Brisbane costume store owner has recounted the terrifying moment a man fleeing police locked himself in her shop.

It was a regular morning at Disguises costumes in Woolloongabba, south of Brisbane, last week when owner Christine Owens’s lunch break was disturbed by what she thought was a difficult customer.

“It was a normal day, getting ready for late night trading, so there were two staff members and myself, the customer who had just left the store was a woman with a baby in a stroller,” she said.

“Then I heard slightly louder voices down in the front of the shop so I should go down and be of assistance in dealing with that … then I saw the look on one of the staff members faces.”

Christine Owens owns Disguises costume store in Woolloongabba. Picture: Liam Kidston

It was then she was confronted with an agitated man and quickly realised it was more volatile than a difficult customer.

“He was a young man with a very wiry body and full face tattoos like a skull, and he had sunken eyes, and I’m pretty sure he shaved his eyebrows off and very short hair,” she said.

A QPS spokesman said patrolling officers on Annerley Rd spotted the man and approached him to speak about other matters before he allegedly fled on foot and entered the Stanley St business.

Ms Owens said the man demanded he be let out the back door and when she refused his agitation increased and he went into a store room thinking it was an exit and she dialled triple-0.

“I asked him to come out of the storeroom, then he was still sort of moving around in a very agitated and threatening manner, I was trying to keep my distance from him, then I saw the police at the door.”

“I thought ‘why aren’t they coming inside?’ and I realised that the door was locked, I ran to the front door to unlock it for them and unfortunately, he saw me running and he ran as well,” she said.

A man who was on the run from police ran into the Disguises costume store at Woolloongabba.

“Just as I got my hand on the handle and got it down he got there and grabbed my hand and yanked it up to lock it, grabbed my arm and shoved me aside away from the door.”

Police alleged the man locked the front door of the business and obstructed them from entering, before he then assaulted a 58-year-old woman in the store.

Officers were then able to gain access to the back entrance of the building, where they were able to take the man into custody without further incident.

Ms Owens, knowing she had to act, told the man she’d take him to the back door and discreetly motioned to the police to follow.

“Then I heard a big bang and I realised that the backdoor had just been broken in and I hoped it wasn’t an accomplice,” she said.

“He was following me and I turned around, saw the police and motioned behind me that he was coming, two of them had their tasers drawn and he quickly succumbed.”

While the intrusion rattled her and the staff, Ms Owens said she is grateful nothing escalated further, and even saw the funny side.

There was a dramatic police arrest inside the store.

“This guy … he’s got a full skull face tattoo running from the police and then he comes into a costume shop called Disguises,” she said.

“He could have, you know, bought something or stole something from us to use as a disguise.”

The 28-year-old South Brisbane man has been charged with two counts of possessing dangerous drugs, and one count each of assault, obstruct police officer, fail to take reasonable care of syringe/needle.

He was remanded in custody and is due to reappear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on July 3.