Queensland crime spree ends with shot fired at police helicopter
A 21-year-old man has been charged with 30 offences after a four-day crime spree across Queensland's Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast regions, culminating in a shot being fired at a police helicopter. The alleged offences include armed home invasion, multiple stolen vehicles and the theft of 12 firearms.
Police allege the man fired a single shot from a long-arm firearm towards the PolAir helicopter and a police vehicle during a pursuit in Noosa Heads on Thursday. Newly released vision shows a weapon being pointed out the window of a stolen vehicle directly at the helicopter as it circled overhead.
How did the crime spree unfold?
The series of events began about 9am on Monday when multiple firearms were allegedly stolen from an address in Childers, in the Wide Bay region. Police allege the same offenders later stole a white Mitsubishi Triton from Bli Bli, which was driven to Lake MacDonald on the Sunshine Coast and set alight early on Thursday.
Shortly after 3am, police allege the men stole a silver Nissan Maxima from Cooroy. The vehicle was intercepted at a service station in Nambour about 11am, where the driver allegedly rammed a police vehicle before fleeing. The passenger, a 44-year-old West Gladstone man, was taken into custody.
The driver continued north on the Bruce Highway, with police pursuing him as he drove dangerously, including on the wrong side of the road and through a roundabout.
What happened at Noosa Heads?
The vehicle was intercepted again at Honey Myrtle Rd in Noosa Heads. Police allege the driver then fired a single shot towards the PolAir helicopter and a police vehicle. He allegedly fled on foot before forcing his way into a nearby home and menacing a woman at gunpoint, then stealing her brown Toyota Yaris.
The woman was not physically injured but was left deeply shaken. Sunshine Coast police Inspector John Mahony said she was quite distraught.
She is quite distraught as you can imagine. We're fairly uncertain there will be other community members who will have been directly impacted. They too will be suffering but we encourage those people to approach police.
Mahony praised the officers involved, describing their actions as incredibly courageous.
They came face to face with a desperate male offender in possession of a high-calibre firearm.
What charges have been laid?
The 21-year-old Hervey Bay man was apprehended about 12.30pm on Thursday. Multiple firearms and a large knife were seized from the vehicle. An emergency declaration was made under the Public Safety Preservation Act before being revoked a short time later.
The 21-year-old has been charged with 30 offences, including three counts of serious assault of a police officer, as well as burglary, armed robbery, weapons and arson offences. The 44-year-old man has been charged with 15 offences, including one count of serious assault of a police officer, along with weapons, arson and burglary offences.
Both men appeared in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Friday and were refused bail. All 12 stolen firearms involved in the investigation have since been recovered, along with a large quantity of ammunition.
What happens next?
The matter will return to court at a later date. Police have encouraged any community members who may have been directly impacted by the events to come forward.