Fatal Townsville Police shooting: Premiere Crisafulli says outdated Taser model used
The Premier says officers involved in an incident where a man was shot and killed by police were not equipped with new taser.
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Queensland Premier David Crisafulli says that an outdated model of taser was unsuccessfully used on the armed man subsequently shot and killed by Townsville police near The Strand on Saturday.
Mr Crisafulli, speaking in Townsville a day after the fatal confrontation between police and a man believed to have been armed with at least on knife, said one of the first things his government had funded was the rollout “of the Taser 10s that the police have been crying out for, for years”.
A witness told News Corp that the man has initially been tasered but that the handheld energy device had not had any effect prior to the subsequent shooting.
The Premier said the new model tasers “give the officers the protection they need but it also helps save the lives of individuals as well”.
“It works both ways and as to why they haven’t been rolled out en masse, I don’t know, others can answer that question,” he said.
“But I want police to have the resources they need to keep the community safe but also to keep people who are enduring very difficult times, safe as well and that is why you need proper resources.”
In a subsequent response to a question, Mr Crisafulli was more blunt, saying Townsville police officers did not have the required resources to deal with Saturday’s fatal incident.
“No, no they didn’t,” when questioned if the officers were adequately equipped.
“The fact that we have a situation where we have to, in our first budget, roll out tasers that should have been rolled out a few years ago, means there are questions that need to be answered,” he said.
“If you are asking me whether or not I believe that the old tasers are fit and proper for use, there is a reason why our first budget funded the rollout of Taser 10s across the board.”
He said the updated model could fire more rounds in a shorter period of time, and from a much greater distance.
“That means the likelihood of having to draw a weapon (firearm) is reduced when you have that capacity and police haven’t been asking for that for a couple of months, that’s been a request for several years.”
The previous Labor government initiated a trial of the Taser 10s in 2023, with Queensland the first place outside the United States to begin using them.
Labor initially funded 1000, with Queensland Police Service understood to have operational control over where the devices were sent.
Mr Crisafulli said he was “saddened” by the incident, one of three but the first fatal police-involved shooting in Townsville this year.
“One of sadness for the man involved, the officers involved, the broader community, they are never easy things to comprehend and process … we’ve got to acknowledge that these are very difficult times for everyone involved … it’s a tough time.”
He welcome Queensland Police Union calls for a broader inquiry into police-involved shootings in Queensland.
“I thank them for their interest and think that’s an important thing for them to do.”
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Originally published as Fatal Townsville Police shooting: Premiere Crisafulli says outdated Taser model used
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