‘Get back!’: Family watched as cop slashed in face, man shot
Terrified residents have relived the moment one of their neighbours allegedly turned on a police officer and slashed him in the face with a knife, before he was shot by another officer “multiple times”.
Police & Courts
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As forensic teams and detectives remain at the scene of a police shooting on Brisbane’s southside, witnesses have revealed what they saw in the lead up to the horrific incident.
A police officer was still in hospital on Thursday morning after he was allegedly slashed in the face with a knife after he and a colleague delivered papers to a Hillgrove St, Mt Gravatt East address about 5pm on Wednesday.
His female partner than shot the alleged assailant “multiple times” in the stomach.
The shot man underwent surgery overnight and remains in hospital.
Hillgrove St was still blocked off this morning, while police continue their investigations.
Surrounding neighbours said they were shocked to hear the sound of gunshots ring around the street, with one family seeing the horrific scene unfold in front of them.
Rody Tia has lived across the road from the scene for eight years and never thought anything like this would happen on his street.
“It was like 5.05pm, I am pretty sure, and I saw this car parked outside the front and I hadn’t seen it before,” Mr Tia said.
“I saw a female police officer step out and didn’t pay much attention so got in my car and started backing out.”
Mr Tia was on the way to the gym when he noticed the police approaching his neighbour’s house.
“I didn’t think it would escalate to anything so I turned my music up and drove off,”
Rody’s mum Roselyn was sitting watching TV when she heard what she thought was a tyre bursting.
“Then my daughter said ‘mum that is a gun shot’ so we ran into the room,” Ms Tia said.
“We stayed in and looked out and it was scary, we were screaming to a guy with his dog who was walking towards it and we were yelling ‘get back!’”
Ms Tia also turned cars away from the scene as it unfolded.
“When I looked, the policeman was down on the ground holding his face and another guy trying to help him, then I saw a police lady just pointing something.”
The Tias say the man is usually walking around the neighbourhood minding his own business and hasn’t caused them any trouble.
“Everybody in this neighbourhood knows him, he looks like a nice guy, he sits around and minds his own business and walks around, but he doesn’t harass us or do anything, he just sticks to himself.”
A couple who had been living in the area for 52 years said this is unlike anything they’ve seen in the suburb.
“We heard the six shots,” Sylvia Clark said.
“When it happened we didn’t hear anyone yelling or screaming it was quiet, it was just the shots.”
