Man made gun at work before fatal siege, coroner told

A man made a gun at work using nuts, bolts and a pipe before he was fatally shot in a stand-off with police, a coroner has been told.

Tjay Doeblien, 27, died after being shot in the chest outside an Ipswich home, west of Brisbane, in May 2022.

Doeblien was on parole from September 2021 and began working at his stepfather’s construction company, coroner Terry Ryan was told at a pre-inquest hearing in Brisbane on Tuesday.

Tjay Doeblien, 27, was shot in the chest by police after brandishing a handmade gun, a coroner has been told.

In early 2022, Doeblien created a gun at work out of nuts, bolts, and a pipe that was assembled with a retractable spring, counsel assisting Carolyn McKeon said.

Doeblien was in a volatile relationship with his girlfriend, with the pair injecting methamphetamine together and experiencing bouts of verbal and physical fights, she said.

On the morning of May 15, 2022, the pair argued over a set of car keys.

The row became heated, with one neighbour reporting they saw Doeblien chasing the woman with a stick, while another claimed he was holding what appeared to be a homemade gun.

Police first arrived about 11.40am and saw Doeblien and his girlfriend waving their arms around, the coroner was told.

When more police arrived, Doeblien pulled out the gun and allegedly said: “I’m not going to jail.”

When one officer said he appeared to be holding a silver handgun, an emergency declaration was triggered, with the area cordoned off while officers took cover behind their vehicles.

A qualified negotiator, PolAir, dog squad and other specialist teams were repeatedly requested by police at the scene.

Police called for a negotiator, PolAir, the dog squad and other specialists after the incident in Ipswich escalated.

Doeblien allegedly told police he had one bullet but the gun “hasn’t got a firing pin”.

The coroner heard he then said: “If I put the gun to the ground, I’ll still get a year; I get one year mandatory for a loaded gun in public.”

Doeblien kept pacing the street while police waited for specialist teams, which became available at 12.09pm.

McKeon said two constables reported hearing Doeblien say: “I’ve got one bullet and I can take one of youse out.”

One of the officers told another that if Doeblien pointed the gun, “we’ve just got to deploy, mate”, she said.

A constable yelled at Doeblien to put the gun down, while bodycam footage captured the sound of three gunshots at 12.30pm.

Doeblien was struck by a rifle round and died at the scene.

Police later said he had raised the firearm and pointed it towards one of the constables, looking down the barrel at him.

Doeblien’s mother, Patricia Roach, and family members wept as they heard details of his death on Tuesday.

An inquest set for November will examine Doeblien’s death, whether the officers’ use of force and actions were reasonable, and whether the investigation was sufficient.

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AAP