Bourke St families question if Victoria Police more concerned with member safety than the public
A senior officer was today quizzed if police had put the safety of its officers ahead of the public as the 2017 Bourke St attack that left six dead unfolded.
Police & Courts
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The families of victims have questioned whether Victoria Police was more concerned with the safety of its members than the public during the shocking Bourke St attack by Dimitrious Gargasoulas.
Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Grainger is giving evidence at the inquest into the January 2017 tragedy, including about the force’s pursuit policy at the time of the incident.
Six people were killed and many more wounded when Gargasoulas drove onto busy footpaths in Melbourne’s CBD.
Aine Magee QC, acting for the families, said she had been directed to ask what ‘safety first’ really meant in terms of pursuits.
“You spoke about the concept of ‘safety first’. Does that principle apply primarily to Victoria Police?” Ms Magee asked.
“No,” Assistant Commissioner Grainger responded.
“That safety of employees first and the public second?” Ms Magee pressed, to which the police officer replied, “No.”
Ms Magee questioned if any police officer had risked their life in the lead-up to Gargasoulas’ shocking act.
“At any stage during the operation ... in your opinion before Bourke St did any officer ever put themselves at risk?” she asked.
The senior officer replied that he didn’t know.
He told the court he had reviewed the driving of Gargasoulas and didn’t believe it constituted a “hostile vehicle” until he was at Swanson St just moments before the carnage unfolded.
It was his belief extreme measures including lethal force were not required, he said.
The new beefed-up pursuit policy was adopted by the force last year.
Incidents like Bourke St were “fraught with danger” but his view was the policy spelt out clearly what police could do in “terrible situations”.
But Ms Magee challenged him about why police pursuing Gargasoulas that day could not have formed the view more aggressive action was needed, given he was sending “delusional texts” and almost ran down 10 people outside Crown Casino.
Assistant Commissioner Grainger said he was not aware of the incident outside Crown, but conceded some of the texts were “concerning”.
The inquest is continuing.
READ MORE:
VICTORIA POLICE VOWS TO LEARN FROM BOURKE ST FAILURES
POLICE DIDN’T THINK GARGASOULAS’ GIRLFRIEND WAS USEFUL SOURCE