‘Our world has stopped’: Families want answers after unarmed men die from violent arrests

Police have failed to explain why two unarmed men died after being arrested, despite body-worn cameras capturing both separate incidents, which have been under investigation by the homicide squad for up to 18 months.

The families of the men are incensed by the delays and are demanding the introduction of an independent authority to scrutinise potential police misconduct, particularly when interactions with police lead to injury or death.

Luke Briggs, pictured with sister Catherine, died from injuries sustained during a police arrest in July 2024.

Builder Luke Briggs, 35, died from shocking injuries he sustained during an arrest for traffic-related offences outside a Hoppers Crossing convenience store in July last year. Steven Woodhouse, 30, died after he was shot in the chest with rubber bullets outside a Reservoir property in November 2023.

Both families accept the need for a thorough criminal investigation, but struggle to understand why the respective cases have not been resolved, particularly when both arrests were captured on video.

Extensive bruising on Luke Briggs’ arm after his arrest.

Bob Briggs, Luke Briggs’ father, said the delays and lack of information from investigators had exacerbated the family’s grief.

“The trauma is ongoing and always will be. From day one, there was a double standard. If the incident had been reversed and Luke choked a Victoria Police officer to death, he would have been remanded immediately and would still be in jail,” Bob Briggs said.

“The double standard is that these two police officers are sitting at home, on full pay, having a wonderful extended holiday.”

He questioned the ability of the homicide squad and the force’s professional standards command to independently investigate his son’s violent death.

“We are now only a few weeks away from the first anniversary of losing our beautiful boy Luke. From the beginning, we were very concerned that this was a case of Victoria Police investigating their own,” he said.

The two officers involved in Luke Briggs’ arrest on July 15 – a male sergeant and a male constable – were both fitted with body-worn cameras, but police has never released the footage or disclosed what happened during the arrest.

Luke Briggs (far right) with his family.

They were suspended on July 22 after being interviewed by homicide squad detectives on July 19. A brief of evidence has been referred to the Office of Public Prosecutions, but no decision has been made.

Doctors told the Briggs family that Luke had gone without oxygen for about 17 minutes after the arrest, while images provided to this masthead also reveal extensive bruising to his arms, legs and torso.

Luke’s sister, Catherine Galley, said the uncertainty surrounding her brother’s death had compounded the family’s trauma.

“We still don’t understand why Luke was confronted to begin with, we don’t understand why it led to an assault by police that left him covered in bruises and in the intensive care unit fighting for life. We still don’t understand just how much he suffered,” Galley said.

Steven Woodhouse, 30, died after he was shot with rubber bullets by police officers outside his Reservoir property in November 2023.

“While the rest of the world has moved on, our family is stuck in July 2024. Our world has stopped and whilst the delays continue, our trauma is not dealt with, our grief is not dealt with, and we are unable to let go.”

The family of Steven Woodhouse – a father of three – is also waiting for answers, more than 18 months after he was blasted by members of Victoria Police’s critical incident response team (CIRT) with several rubber bullets. The family say they still don’t know why the 30-year-old was being arrested.

A year before Woodhouse’s death, Victoria’s integrity watchdog had recommended an overhaul of the CIRT and found it had conducted several high-risk operations without proper planning, authorisation and training, which had resulted in serious injuries and alleged human rights abuses.

A report by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission found the CIRT was rife with “misconduct risks and issues” and plagued by a “hypermasculine culture”.

Steven Woodhouse (centre) with his sister Shaye and his father.

At the time of Woodhouse’s arrest on November 11, 2023, Victoria Police did not disclose the 30-year-old had been shot with rubber bullets, only that he had become “unresponsive as he was being treated by paramedics”.

Shaye Woodhouse, Steven’s older sister, said she had been told by an investigator that he was shot at least three times with rubber bullets, while a taser was also deployed. But the family was provided with few updates on the investigation.

Steven Woodhouse.

“Victoria Police have not provided a clear explanation for the delay. Communication has been inconsistent, vague or completely absent at times. I’ve had to chase information myself, engage lawyers, and the lack of transparency has only increased our distress,” Shaye told this masthead.

“It feels like there’s a deliberate effort to stall the investigation, possibly to cover up mistakes or avoid accountability. It’s hard not to feel like there’s an ulterior motive.”

She also backed recent calls for an independent authority to investigate alleged police misconduct.

“No family should ever feel like their loved one’s life is being devalued, or that justice is a choice rather than a right,” she said.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said investigations into deaths in custody were often complex, but detectives were committed to ensuring they were conducted thoroughly.

“We acknowledge the impact these incidents have on all parties involved and endeavour to prioritise them accordingly; however, there will be circumstances where investigations take more time for different reasons,” the spokeswoman said.

“Detectives are committed to ensuring families and relevant parties are updated with appropriate information during the course of these investigations and oversights.”

IBAC would not confirm whether it had been involved in the investigations.

Last year, IBAC received 2249 complaints about police misconduct, which accounted for more than 60 per cent of all complaints received by the integrity body, and represented a 15 per cent increase from 2023.

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