Knife-wielding man shot by Gold Coast police at Molendinar ‘just snapped’, says mum

The mother of a knife-wielding Gold Coast man has said her son “just snapped” before officers were forced to shoot up to six times last night.

Ethical Standard Command is investigating what lead to the Molendinar man being shot by police overnight.

THE mother of a Gold Coast man shot by police has said her son “just snapped” when he confronted police with two knives last night.

A crime scene was set up at Wentworth Avenue at Molendinar overnight as police continue to investigate the incident, which saw 49-year-old Paul Dubrovsky shot “up to six times”.

Officers were called to in the small residential street just after 10.30pm yesterday following reports Mr Dubrovsky was armed with two knives and was causing a disturbance.

It is understood the shooting happened at a park next to Southport Nerang Road — a busy main road.

The park near Wentworth Avenue, Molendinar where it's believed police shot an armed man in the chest several times overnight.

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Police will allege he ignored demands to drop his weapons and charged towards officers.

A police spokeswoman said officers at the scene unleashed “a number of shots” from their guns, hitting him several times in the chest.

Mr Dubrovsky’s family said he had suffered a serious brain injury just three years ago, and had only had one drink before he began behaving erratically last night.

His mother, Wendy Watkins, told the ABC she called police twice after her son began behaving erratically and rushed into the street with the knives.

“I could hear (officers) saying all the time, ‘drop the knives, drop the knives’, they said that 20 or 30 times,” she told reporters.

“But they did say he sat up and was talking to them, after he’d been shot in the hand, the shoulder, the tummy.”

Mum Wendy Watkins spoke to media in their home this morning.

Ms Watkins said her son had been suffering from ongoing mental health and physical issues, further agitated by alcohol problems and a recent family tragedy.

“I think everybody’s got a point where enough is enough and the system just breaks down, and I think this is how this has happened.”

“Considering what was happening, (the police) were excellent, they were doing their job. What else could they do?

“As much as I want to punch their lights out, you have to be aware of what was actually happening, and they’re only human too.”

The man is now recovering in Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition and was due to undergo surgery.

He has now been charged with acts intending to cause grievous bodily harm, two counts of serious assault of police while armed and possession of a knife in a public place.

Police will allege the man charged at officers while holding two knives.

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The street has returned to normal as residents get ready for work this morning.

Neighbours said they “didn’t hear a thing” and weren’t aware of what had happened.

One man told the Bulletin it was “shocking something happened so close to home”.

He said his wife had spotted police in the street when she was out walking at 5am.

The Police Union is offering support to officers who attended the confronting scene.

The police Ethical Standard Command will investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.