Alice Springs cops trapped in town camp and assaulted by angry mob while trying to arrest alleged gunman

NT police officers were trapped, assaulted and forced to retreat from an Alice Springs town camp last week while trying to arrest a man who allegedly opened fire with a rifle at a funeral.

NT Police officers were forced to abandon their vehicle after they had rocks thrown at them at a town camp near Alice Springs.

Northern Territory police officers were trapped, assaulted and forced to retreat from an Alice Springs town camp last week while trying to arrest a man who allegedly opened fire with a rifle at a funeral.

Last Monday, Terrence Stephen Clyne allegedly shot at ­people attending a funeral near Kings Canyon, 330km west of Alice Springs, in an escalation of a feud between two families.

By the time police from Yulara arrived at the funeral, Mr Clyne had travelled to Alice Springs, where officers located him at Old Timers camp.

The Australian understands he allegedly used a vehicle to block the police crew’s exit from the camp as dozens of his relatives surrounded the police vehicle with two officers inside.

Sources say the alleged offender pointed his rifle at the officers as they tried to retreat from the location. As the officers escaped, a rock thrown through the front passenger window struck one of them on the arm.

The officers suffered minor injuries from the rock and shards of broken glass.

When back up arrived, they returned to Old Timers camp and arrested Mr Clyne.

He was charged with 10 offences, including going armed in public, discharge firearm causing danger, carry a loaded firearm in public place, aggravated assault and traffic offences.

NT police would not comment on injuries to its members but confirmed that a 38-year-old man was arrested after police received a report of an armed person near Kings Canyon on August 28.

NT Police Association president Nathan Finn said the officers involved in the arrest were lucky to have escaped without serious injury.

“They were very lucky given the lack of resources and ability for back-up to attend,” he said.

“It would have been terrifying, especially for those junior members.

“Anytime that a group traps or attempts to trap you in a vehicle it can be very frightening.

“This would be national news if it happened anywhere else in Australia.”

Mr Finn said he believed the incident was kept quiet because the government did not want “bad stories about Alice Springs” being reported in the media “given the problems they’ve been having”.

Mr Clyne appeared in the Alice Springs Local Court on Thursday morning.

Judge John McBride said family disputes could escalate without warning.

“People can get seriously hurt and injured,” he said.

“With a family dispute in play – which of course we all know, unfortunately, can escalate very quickly – my concern is the protection of the wider community and for that reason, I‘m going to decline bail at the moment.”