Two police officers deployed taser and fired six times at 19yo with spear in Gray
NT Police have ruled out any link between the shooting of a 19-year-old armed Aboriginal and an alleged domestic violence incident in Gray, as the man remains in a critical condition.
Northern Territory
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UPDATE 12PM, THURS: NT Police have ruled out any link between the shooting of a teenager in a Gray park and an alleged domestic violence incident in the area earlier that morning.
Officers fired a taser and six bullets at a 19-year-old armed Aboriginal teenager on Tuesday morning.
The man remains in a critical condition in hospital.
However, Assistant Commissioner Michael White APM said police investigations ruled out any connection to the shooting.
He encouraged anybody with information in relation to either incident should contact NT Police on 131 444 or report it anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via www.crimestoppersnt.com.au”
UPDATE 6PM, WED: Northern Territory police fired a taser and six bullets at a 19-year-old armed Aboriginal teenager in a Gray park.
Assistant Commissioner Michael White confirmed the teenage Palmerston resident remained in intensive care unit of the Royal Darwin Hospital following the Tuesday morning shooting.
On Wednesday, Mr White said the young man was in a critical state although his condition was improving.
He said police were called to the Gray area to respond to reports of a domestic violence incident when officers were allegedly confronted by the 19-year-old armed with a spear.
Mr White alleged the teenager raised the spear and attempted to throw it at one of the officers.
He alleged after repeated warnings, one officer deployed a taser around the same time as their partner pulled a lethal weapon and fired their gun six times in quick succession.
“That will form part of the investigation more broadly, but it is evident that at that time, the offices were in danger and they exercised their decision to use deadly force,” Mr White said.
He said it was still unknown how many bullets actually hit the teenager, with investigators working with health to verify what happened.
Mr White said which parts of the teenager were shot would form part of the investigation, as would the distance between him and the officers.
He confirmed twin body-cam footage worn by the officers captured the entire incident and would be scrutinised by investigators.
Mr White said at least 45 detectives were working on the investigation with ballistics experts on scene on Wednesday, following forensic analysis and extensive door knocking of neighbouring homes.
Mr White said oversight bodies, including the ICAC, the ombudsman, Work Health and NAAJA, were briefed over the incident.
“We reached out to the family and are doing everything we can to engage with them so they can understand what the status of the investigation is,” he said.
A NT Police General Order on Operational Safety and Use of Force obtained by the NT News stated that the use of a lethal force was a “tactical option” in order to protect human life.
“The NTPF philosophy on the use of force is that the amount of force used should not be unnecessary,” the 2017 in-confidence order said.
“Therefore the use of firearms is to be regarded as the option of last resort.
“Officers must have authorisation, justification or an excuse or their use of force actions could be considered unlawful.”
By comparison tasers, or Electro-muscular Control Devices, “provide an alternative to lethal force in some situations”.
Mr White said external oversight bodies would review the use of the weapons by police.
He was unable to confirm if the taser hit the 19-year-old, or when each of the weapons were deployed.
He said the male and female officers involved, as well as other emergency service workers, were being supported.
“Understandably they’re shaken up. They are human and to say what they went through … no one wants to do,” he said.
“Certainly we’re doing everything we can to support them at this time.”
Northern Territory Police Association president Paul McCue said both officers were also receiving support from the union, and there was assistance to their colleagues at Palmerston Police Station.
Mr McCue said the allegations the 19-year-old was armed with a spear meant officers were faced with an “extremely dangerous situation”.
“Police work is always dangerous,” he said.
“Police put themselves in harm’s way, they deal with the very worst of our society, sadly, so the rest of society can live peacefully,” Mr McCue said.
“We just want to make sure that the police are not subject to the misconception that they’re out there and they’re heavy handed or any of that nonsense. It’s not the case.”
“Sometimes they are confronted with highly dangerous and volatile situations … We’re just very grateful that they went home safely to their families.”
“Policing is a dangerous job. Sadly sometimes police don’t go home.”
NT Police confirmed neither officer was injured in the incident.
Mr McCue acknowledged the tensions within the Palmerston community following the shooting of the Aboriginal teenager from the area.
“It’s always a stressful situation for the community when something like this happens,” he said.
“We’d be really disappointing if there’s anger pointed towards our police (as) we don’t know the full circumstances of what took place.”
A memo to officers from Mr White said additional support was available if they had security concerns for themselves or their families.
“We are doing everything we can to ensure that officer safety, the safety of our families, and also the safety of the community more broadly,” he said.
Mr McCue said officers with concerns had multiple chains of command and avenues to seek help.
UPDATE, 1PM WED: POLICE fired six shots and deployed a taser at a 19-year-old Aboriginal man in Palmerston who is still in a critical condition.
Assistant Commissioner Michael White confirmed on Wednesday that all six shots were fired by a single police officer in response to an alleged threat prior to the shooting.
The other attending officer utilised their taser at the same time as the shooting.
The person who was shot was armed with a spear and was allegedly attempting to throw the weapon at officers at the time of the shooting.
The teenager remains in ICU in a critical condition but is said to be recovering from his injuries.
Mr White said police had reached out to his family.
“We reached out to family and are doing everything we can to engage with them so they can understand what the status of investigation is and to ensure they have a full appreciation of what happened,” he said.
“It’s really critical at this time that everyone understands that police are doing everything they can to investigate it and get to the bottom of what occurred.”
Both police members that attended the scene had their body worn cameras operating at the time.
Police line drawn around Palmerston park
POLICE are still actively cordoning off areas around a Palmerston school following a police shooting of an allegedly armed Indigenous man.
The police line has withdrawn to a core area near the Confalonieri Park, where the shooting is believed to have occurred.
Traffic blockades have been removed for most streets, but police have still closed Victoria Dr at the corner of Priest Cct.
Despite community concerns that the shooting victim had passed, the Royal Darwin Hospital has confirmed the man remains in a critical condition and is out of surgery.
The man’s age remains unknown.
Police are expected to give an update on the investigation later today.
NTPA boss weighs in on Palmerston incident
THE senior vice president of the Northern Territory Police has spoken about the officers involved in Tuesday’s critical incident in Palmerston.
Lisa Bayliss spoke to radio this morning, saying the two police that attended the scene were following training procedures when confronted with a man allegedly brandishing a weapon.
“It was a very difficult situation,” she said.
“They were general duty who were just doing the job that they do everyday.”
Ms Bayliss said the whole ordeal was “traumatic for them”.
“Even though they’re trained for such a situation it’s still the human factor that you’ve been through a critical incident and it is traumatic,” she said.
REVEALED: More details emerge in Palmerston shooting
A MAN is in a critical condition in the Royal Darwin Hospital after a police shooting in a Gray park on Tuesday morning.
Witnesses have told of hearing multiple gunshots after a police shooting of an Indigenous man allegedly brandishing two spears.
The NT News understands the man was holding one spear above his head before police opened fire.
The scene unfolded on Tuesday morning around Victoria Dr, Gray, near the Gray School and St Luke’s Anglican Church.
A source said two police officers were attending to reports of a domestic violence incident and following a “trail of blood” to a Phineas Crt home, when the man emerged from a separate unit.
He was allegedly armed with a spear in each hand and was said to have been “aggressive” and “hostile”.
NT Police reported officers appealed for the man to drop the weapon, with other sources claiming they were forced to respond when he lifted one of the weapons above his head as if he was about to throw it.
It is unclear if one or both of the attending officers opened fire but a dozen neighbours later reported hearing at least four shots.
The man was taken to RDH in a critical condition and required life saving surgery.
Neighbours reported being “terrified” by the multiple blasts, while others were angered by the use of potentially lethal force against the man.
A visibly distressed Halpin Grant called out to police guarding the crime scene “where’s your tasers?”.
Mr Grant called the shooting “senseless”.
Police spent the day guarding the crime scene, with investigators leaving behind a trail of yellow markers highlighting the dried blood splatters left between Phineas Crt and the playground at Ascension Park.
Police are still determining whose blood was found on the cement.
A police drone hovered over the path made by the shooting victim man moments before he was repeatedly shot.
Sixteen police officers also patrolled Ascension Park in Gray to co-ordinate door knocks and scene investigations.
Only a few hundred metres from the cordoned off crime scene was Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School.
The sounds of kids laughing and playing was heard as police guarded the scene.
The school said students and teachers would be provided with “wellbeing support”.
Assistant Commissioner Michael White said police had dispatched a strong, detailed investigative team to look over the whole case.
“(They) will look at all aspects of the case including what happened prior, reasons why that person was armed in a public place and also the circumstances of the shooting,” Mr White said.
He said the family, Palmerston community and organisations including the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency were being engaged over the incident.
NT Police Association president Paul McCue said the officers were receiving support from his organisation, saying policing in the Northern Territory and across the country often put officers into difficult situations.
A close family member of the man who wished to remain anonymous was at the area to “see what was going on”.
“I’m really stressed out about it, I don’t know what’s gone on with him,” they said.
“I’m just concerned for his welfare now and I hope he gets out of hospital all right so we can hear his story — he’s the only one that knows the real story.”
It was an emotionally fraught day for the community as they grappled with the violence on their doorstep.
Tears welled as a Moulden mother-of-six described the pain of yet another young Indigenous man shot by police.
The woman, who did not wish to be named, said she had “goosebumps “ thinking about the incident near her Aunty’s home.
“These shootings have to stop,” she said. “It may be his mistake but no one should be shot down.”
Her Aunty quietly interrupted her with an update on the young man’s condition.
“That’s someone’s child,” the woman said as tears rolled down her cheek.
“There was no need for that.”
As the woman spoke her young kids were watching Bluey and Teletubbies in the background. She glanced back at them as she spoke about her fears, saying she would be holding her children tightly that night.
Gray resident Aunty C said she would be holding a smoking ceremony at the site of the alleged police shooting.
Aunty C said she had been with the man on Monday night and described him as a “good boy” with “his “head screwed on right”.
The next morning she unknowingly heard the very same shots going into his body. “I heard them. Bang. Bang. Bang. I didn’t know it was him though,” she said through choked tears.
“Our kids are being killed by the people who are meant to serve and protect,” Aunty C said.
“We can’t keep burying our kids, they should be burying us”.
More details emerge about moments leading up to Palmerston shooting of man
FURTHER details around the moments leading up to the shooting of a man in Palmerston on Tuesday morning have been revealed.
The NT News understands the man, who is in hospital in a critical condition, was allegedly brandishing two spears and held one above his head before police opened fire.
A well-placed source said two police officers were attending to reports of a domestic violence incident and were following a “trail of blood” to a block of flats in Gray, when the man emerged from a unit.
He was allegedly armed with a spear in each hand and was said to have been “aggressive” and “hostile”.
Confronted with the scene, officers were forced to respond when he lifted one of the weapons above his head as if he was about to throw it.
Police launch drone over shooting area
A POLICE drone hovered over the path made by a young man moments before he was shot multiple times.
NT Police deployed the drone this afternoon, with officers walking underneath mirroring the man’s movements into Ascension Park.
Police alleged the man was holding a weapon before he was repeatedly shot by officers on Tuesday morning.
Evidence tags have been left on the street and leading into the Gray park.
‘A number of shots’ fired in parkland: Police
A MAN is currently in surgery after a number of shots were fired in a Palmerston park.
Police were attending a scene in Gray when they came across a man who was allegedly armed with a weapon.
The young man was called upon to drop the weapon.
A number of shots were then fired by police injuring the man who is currently in hospital undergoing surgery.
Assistant Commissioner Michael White said police had dispatched a strong, detailed investigative team to look over the whole case.
“The investigative team will look at all aspects of the case including what happened prior, reasons why that person was armed in a public place and also the circumstances of the shooting,” Mr White said.
The identity of the man is yet to be confirmed.
Mr White said the family, Palmerston community and organisations including the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency were being engaged over the incident.
NT Police Association president Paul McCue said the officers were receiving support from his organisation, saying policing in the Northern Territory and across the country often put officers into difficult situations.
“Our thoughts are very much with all the officers involved, everyone involved in that incident,” Mr McCue said.
He said the NTPA would “keep across” the investigation into the incident.
Man in ‘critical condition’ after police shooting
A MAN is in a critical condition in hospital following a police shooting in Palmerston.
At 9am on Tuesday morning, NT police attended a location in Gray believed to be outside Gray School.
Police were allegedly confronted by a man and during the incident an officer discharged their firearm.
The man has since been taken to hospital for ongoing treatment.
Police involved were not physically injured in the incident.
At 12.15pm, a NT Health spokesman said the man was still in a critical condition.
NT Police have declared a critical incident with assistant commissioner Michael White leading the investigation.
A full investigative response has commenced to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Northern Territory Police Association has been advised and will be kept updated throughout the investigative process.
“The NTPA are aware of a critical incident in Palmerston this morning,” a statement on social media said.
“Representatives from the NTPA are on the ground and on scene assisting our members and providing ongoing support.”
One taken to hospital in ‘critical condition’ after incident
A WOMAN has described “pools of blood” at the scene of a major police incident in Palmerston.
The incident, understood to have occurred on Tuesday morning, took place around Victoria Dr, Gray, near the Gray School and St Luke’s Anglican Church.
The NT News understands the incident involved a man armed with a spear.
Multiple witnesses have told media outlets they heard gun shots.
Police are yet to release any details about the incident.
There are at least six police units on scene.
The NT News has been told that a bystander captured footage of the incident.
A St John Ambulance spokeswoman confirmed an ambulance arrived on the scene just after 9am.
One person was taken to the Royal Darwin Hospital in a critical condition, as a priority one patient.
Neighbours looked on as police shut down the school zone. Tunes from Disney’s Encanto were heard playing from across the cordoned off area.
An eyewitness said the incident unfolded near the Gray School soccer oval.
“She noticed a pool of blood on the island of the middle of the road, there was quite a lot of blood” a friend of the eyewitness told Mix 104.9’s Katie Woolf.
“The (drops of) blood had gone back to a park … to the park behind the flats there.”
Police are directing vehicles away from the scene.
An eyewitness told Ms Woolf the corner of Priest and Victoria roads had been closed and detectives were scouring the area.
A spokeswoman from the Education Department said Gray School did not go into lockdown and all staff and students were safe.
“Wellbeing support will be provided to the staff and students as required,” she said.
A Statement from Gray School read: “The police have advised us that all students are safe and we can go about our day as normal.”
“Please be advised that Victoria Drive is blocked from the school car park to Emery Ave, if you need to access the school please use Essington Avenue,” it said.
Education Minister Lauren Moss told Mix 104.9 said the situation was “unfolding at present” and that she understood the school was still operating as normal.
“At this point my office is on the phone to the department and it very much is an unfolding situation,” Ms Moss said.
She told parents that police were working with the school to ensure the safety of students, and that there was no information to suggest the incident was related to the school.
More to come.
Originally published as Two police officers deployed taser and fired six times at 19yo with spear in Gray
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