TheeBadOne
Member
A man was shot and killed by police after he went on a rampage, stabbing four people in suburban Brisbane.
Two police constables fired five shots at the 40-year-old, fatally wounding him, after attempts to subdue him with capsicum spray failed.
Chief Superintendent Ken Benjamin said police do not know what sparked the stabbing frenzy which hospitalised four people.
But he defended his officers' actions saying they acted within police guidelines.
"Preliminary inquiries to date would indicate to us that the actions of police were lawful and reasonable under the circumstances," he said.
A disturbance at a unit complex at Browning Street in West End around 4.45am (AEST) is believed to have sparked the rampage.
An hour later an ambulance was called and police arrived to find 66-year-old George Drougkas with two stab wounds to his neck.
His neighbour, 70-year-old Mary Cosh, who had rushed to his aid, also suffered stab wounds to her throat while a 16-year-old boy who also tried to help was stabbed in the upper body.
The man, believed to be a neighbour, then armed himself with two other knives and left the complex.
A short time later a 29-year-old contract worker with the Brisbane City Council, who was working in nearby Vulture Street, was stabbed in the back by the man.
Supt Benjamin said the male and female constables arrived at the scene to see the man, armed with a 17cm bladed carving knife and another in his belt, struggling with the worker.
He said they called on the man to surrender.
"He didn't comply and police then used capsicum spray and again there was no compliance and the male police officer grabbed the assailant, pulled him from the other male," he said.
"He then ... got off the ground, he was carrying the knife, and went towards the male officer in a threatening manner.
"Five shots were fired from police weapons and the assailant was fatally injured."
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/26/1072308679082.html
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Another example of less-lethal tools that may/may not work. When mace works, it works well. When it doesn't it is dangerous because you've just lost time/space/distance. Lucky the Officer didn't get sliced/stabbed.
Two police constables fired five shots at the 40-year-old, fatally wounding him, after attempts to subdue him with capsicum spray failed.
Chief Superintendent Ken Benjamin said police do not know what sparked the stabbing frenzy which hospitalised four people.
But he defended his officers' actions saying they acted within police guidelines.
"Preliminary inquiries to date would indicate to us that the actions of police were lawful and reasonable under the circumstances," he said.
A disturbance at a unit complex at Browning Street in West End around 4.45am (AEST) is believed to have sparked the rampage.
An hour later an ambulance was called and police arrived to find 66-year-old George Drougkas with two stab wounds to his neck.
His neighbour, 70-year-old Mary Cosh, who had rushed to his aid, also suffered stab wounds to her throat while a 16-year-old boy who also tried to help was stabbed in the upper body.
The man, believed to be a neighbour, then armed himself with two other knives and left the complex.
A short time later a 29-year-old contract worker with the Brisbane City Council, who was working in nearby Vulture Street, was stabbed in the back by the man.
Supt Benjamin said the male and female constables arrived at the scene to see the man, armed with a 17cm bladed carving knife and another in his belt, struggling with the worker.
He said they called on the man to surrender.
"He didn't comply and police then used capsicum spray and again there was no compliance and the male police officer grabbed the assailant, pulled him from the other male," he said.
"He then ... got off the ground, he was carrying the knife, and went towards the male officer in a threatening manner.
"Five shots were fired from police weapons and the assailant was fatally injured."
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/26/1072308679082.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another example of less-lethal tools that may/may not work. When mace works, it works well. When it doesn't it is dangerous because you've just lost time/space/distance. Lucky the Officer didn't get sliced/stabbed.
