‘I’ll be dead by 4pm’: Chilling last words of man shot dead by cops
A fake lawyer shot dead by police after he wielded a gun inside a medical centre told his doctor he would be “dead by 4pm”.
Police & Courts
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A fake lawyer shot dead by police after he wielded a gun inside a medical centre told his doctor he would be “dead by 4pm”.
Alexander Stuart Pinnock, 34, made the chilling remark during a consultation with his longtime GP on Wednesday, moments before producing what appeared to be a Glock pistol, and sparking a two-hour siege that ended in gunfire.
Mr Pinnock was shot dead when negotiations failed. Police fired 15 bullets at him as he stood in the foyer of Junction Street Medical Centre in Nowra, shortly before 3pm.
NSW Police are investigating whether Mr Pinnock had planned to die that day in a showdown with officers, after he “calmly” instructed staff in the clinic to leave the building while he stayed inside armed with the replica gun.
Mr Pinnock’s family on Thursday released a statement saying his death highlighted the failings within the system to support people with mental health struggles.
“This does not excuse his actions and it does not lessen the impact felt by those close to the incident. Hopefully lessons can be learned from this horrible event and improvements can be made across the board to better care for those struggling in our midst,” the family said.
The family also expressed their support for staff at the medical centre and emergency services who dealt with the “incredibly stressful situation”.
“First and foremost our thoughts and prayers are with the medical centre staff, doctors and patients who were thrust into a terrifying and life-changing situation through no fault of their own.
“Everyone has a right to feel safe in their workplace and wider community and that was taken from innocent people yesterday.”
Mr Pinnock was well known to police and medical services on the south coast after a lengthy battle with mental illness.
He was convicted and fined last year after he pleaded guilty to pretending to be a lawyer and representing clients under the name Alec Stuart.
A court at the time heard he had also been scheduled for his serious mental health issues, and had a history of needing treatment in other states including South Australia, Victoria and Queensland.
Pinnock had been on the disability support pension since 2007 and in the middle of 2023 was homeless, before obtaining emergency housing in Nowra.
NSW Police assistant commissioner Peter Cotter previously said Mr Pinnock became “agitated” during the appointment and made other alarming comments.
He said two-hours of police negotiating with Mr Pinnock proved futile.
At one stage during the standoff, an officer dropped a ballistic shield which was grabbed by Mr Pinnock and held up to taunt police.
“The man produced the gun and brandished it at police,” Assistant Commissioner Cotter said.
Assistant Commissioner Cotter said it was a “tragic” situation for the officers involved and the family of Mr Pinnock.
“They did their very, very best to negotiate with him,” Assistant Commissioner Cotter said. “They responded in absolute good faith, responding to an alarm of a man with a gun in a surgery … brandishing that gun.”
Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips said the shooting was “a tragic situation”, and that she was seeking additional mental health support for the area.
“My thoughts are with the entire team at the much loved Junction Street Family Medical Practice. And with our police officers, paramedics and all emergency services workers responding at the scene,” she said.
The homicide squad and a critical incident team will investigate the incident and the police actions.
The medical centre remained closed on Thursday as police continued to canvass the street looking for witnesses and CCTV.
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