Man shot after slashing cop can’t speak, police say
A man who slashed a police officer’s face on Wednesday night, before being shot multiple times, is autistic and unable to verbally communicate, neighbours say.
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Neighbours say a man who allegedly slashed a police officer’s face on Wednesday is autistic and unable to speak.
The 25-year-old was shot by a policewoman multiple times in the chest and stomach outside his house on Hillgrove Street at Upper Mt Gravatt about 5pm.
FAMILY WATCHED AS COP SLASHED IN FACE, MAN SHOT
The officer and her senior constable partner had arrived at the home for a “fairly routine” delivery of documents on the man when the incident occurred. Police say he lunged at the male senior constable and slashed him across his face under his eye with a knife before his partner opened fire.
Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said it was a “very difficult response” and the injured police officer would have a “lifelong reminder of what has happened to him”. “One of our officers has suffered a really horrendous injury,” he said.
Neighbours say they heard up to six shots and alleged police were frequent visitors to the home. But they said the man normally “kept to himself” and everyone in the street knew him.
Both the officer and the man were recovering in hospital yesterday. “...Bearing in mind there is an investigation in place ... on the face of it, it looks like a textbook response from this officer,” Mr Gollschewski said.
Residents of Hillgrove Street said they had never seen anything like it.
Roselyn Tia was sitting watching TV when she heard what she thought was a tyre bursting. “Then my daughter said ‘mum that is a gunshot’, so we ran into the room,” Ms Tia said. Watching the incident unfold was “scary”, she said. “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.”
Ms Tia said the man was 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.”
Ethical Standards Command is investigating.