Michael Pagett charged with attempted murder of police after Hervey Bay, Qld siege

A man at the centre of a 12-hour siege has been charged with two counts of attempted murder with a senior detective saying it’s only “through good fortune we’re not talking about the death of police”. VIDEO.

The case against a man accused of trying to kill two police officers during a siege at Hervey Bay has been mentioned in court on Wednesday.

Michael Pagett, 57, is facing two attempted murder charges after allegedly attacking police with scissors at the end of a marathon 12-hour stand-off at Urangan from Monday night to Tuesday morning.

Mr Pagett was tasered and taken to Hervey Bay Hospital with a head laceration following the siege which locked down several of the Hervey Bay suburb’s streets.

Police were called to a Boat Harbour Drive address around noon on Monday and located Mr Pagett, allegedly armed with a knife making threats to “stab and kill police”.

He then allegedly barricaded himself in a house, sparking negotiations that lasted throughout the night.

An emergency declaration was subsequently declared around 6.30pm, with an exclusion zone established between Boat Harbour Drive and Lavell, Hammond and Toni streets as negotiations continued into the night.

Members of the public were urged to avoid the area and residents could be seen lining the grass outside the Urangan

McDonald’s while the siege unfolded.

On Tuesday morning it was confirmed officers had deployed a taser and took the man into custody around 6.45am.

During the interactions, Mr Pagett sustained a minor injury to his head and was transported to hospital.

One police officer also sustained a minor injury to his right arm.

Police have increased the exclusion zone in Urangan following the declaration of an emergency declaration

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday Detective Senior Sergeant Mick Polit said the alleged attack and arrest was captured on officers’ bodycams.

Sgt Polit said it would be alleged when officers entered the home, Mr Pagett lunged at one officer’s neck with the weapon before allegedly stabbing a second officer in the chest and abdomen.

The officer was protected by his ballistic vest, but sustained bruising under it and a scratch to his right forearm, Sgt Polit said.

Mr Pagett’s mother was home at the time of the incident, Sgt Polit said, but she was not in any danger and played no part in the incident.

She is not accused of any wrongdoing.

It is alleged Mr Pagett threw items and tools at police throughout the siege, with one piece of equipment striking and damaging a police car.

Sgt Polit said it was “only through good fortune … we’re not talking about the death of one or more police officers here today”.

The scene of an alleged siege in Urangan.

Mr Pagett has also been charged with four counts of serious assault police officer whilst armed with a weapon, wilful damage of police property, possessing dangerous drugs, contravening order about information necessary to access information stored electronically and use a carriage service to make a threat to cause serious harm.

He was refused police bail, and the charges were briefly mentioned in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on August 21.

Mr Pagett did not appear or apply for court bail, and he was remanded in custody until his next court date on October 24.

Investigations are continuing.

Originally published as Michael Pagett charged with attempted murder of police after Hervey Bay, Qld siege