SERT officers shoot 'high risk' man hiding at Townsville shopping centre

Police face unprecedented danger with 12 officers assaulted weekly in Queensland as new details emerge about the latest Townsville police shooting.

Head of the Queensland Police Union Shane Prior (right) talks about the police shooting in Townsville

The head of the Queensland Police Union says it’s never been more dangerous to be a police officer in the state as more detail is revealed about the man with an “extensive history with violence and weapons offences” shot by an officer in Townsville.

QPU president Shane Prior has revealed more details about the incident, including that SERT officers were brought in from Brisbane to help arrest the man who was determined to be “high risk”.

He said the man was in a “concealed space”, under a stairwell in the Big W loading dock at Willows Shopping Centre when he made threats to police.

The man, aged 31, is in a serious but stable condition in Townsville University Hospital.

Police have not revealed what charge the man was wanted in relation to.

A man was shot at Willows Shopping Centre on Sunday.

Mr Prior said he expected the man’s actions, including any threats made to police, in the lead up to the shooting would form part of the Ethical Standards Command investigation, which was currently underway.

“Policing has never been as dangerous as it is right now,” Mr Prior said.

“We have 12 officers a week, either assaulted or seriously assaulted, some of which are hospitalised every week here in Queensland.

“These officers were responding to circumstances that they were placed in at that particular time and a firearm has been used due to the nature of the threats that were levelled towards them.”

Mr Prior would not say if a taser had been used as part of the confrontation.

He said there were no police officers in Queensland who wanted to go to work each day and use their firearm in the line of duty.

“These kind of incidents stay with these officers for the rest of their lives,” Mr Prior said.

“(SERT officers are) highly trained individuals and they know when to use their firearms and under what conditions.”

Mr Prior said SERT officers were deployed around the state to “some of the most dangerous situations you’ll find”.

“They are sent across the state to deal with individuals of high violence, individuals that will use violence and weapons towards members of the public and the police,” he said.

Mr Prior added that despite SERT being exposed to high-risk work environments more often, it still had an effect on the emotionally.

“The job now is to make sure this officer is looked after emotionally and mentally, and they get back to work as soon as possible,” he said.

This is the fourth police shooting in Townsville this year, with Mr Prior saying that needed to be looked at “individually”.

Last Saturday, a man died after he was shot by police in North Ward, in June a teenager was shot by police at the West End Hotel and in January a man was charged with serious assault of a police officer after he was shot by police in Vincent.

He said there had not been a coronial inquest finding that showed police had not acted appropriately and lawfully when using their firearms.

“There has been an increased prevalence of firearm related incidents in Townsville, but on each one of those occasions, police have acted appropriately and this is no different,” Mr Prior said.

Originally published as SERT officers shoot 'high risk' man hiding at Townsville shopping centre