Two men have been refused bail after an alleged multi-day crime spree across south-east Queensland culminated in a shot being fired towards a police helicopter and a vehicle in Noosa.
Queensland Police allege a 21-year-old Hervey Bay man and a 44-year-old West Gladstone man were involved in a series of incidents spanning hundreds of kilometres, from Childers in the Wide Bay region to the Sunshine Coast. Together, the men face 45 charges.
Police allege firearms were stolen in Childers
The sequence of events is alleged to have begun about 9am on Monday, when multiple firearms were stolen from a property in Childers. Police say a white Mitsubishi Triton was later stolen from an address at Bli Bli on the Sunshine Coast.
Investigators allege the Triton was driven to Lake Macdonald before it was set alight early on Thursday. Shortly after 3am that day, a silver Nissan Maxima was allegedly stolen from Lake Macdonald Drive at Cooroy.
Police intercepted the Maxima at a Nambour service station about 11am. The driver allegedly rammed a police vehicle and fled, while officers arrested the 44-year-old passenger. Police then pursued the car as it travelled north on the Bruce Highway.
Footage released by police and reported by Australian media showed the vehicle travelling through traffic, at times allegedly on the wrong side of the road.
Shot allegedly fired during Noosa pursuit
The Maxima was intercepted again at Honey Myrtle Road in Noosa Heads. Police allege the driver pointed a long-arm firearm from the vehicle and fired one shot towards a POLAIR helicopter and a police vehicle.
No police officers were reported injured. The 21-year-old allegedly fled on foot and forced his way into a nearby home, where police say he threatened a woman with a firearm. He is then alleged to have stolen her brown Toyota Yaris and escaped.
The woman was not physically injured, but Sunshine Coast police Inspector Chris Mahony said she had been left distraught. Police made an emergency declaration under the Public Safety Preservation Act while the operation continued.
The 21-year-old was arrested about 12.30pm. Officers seized several firearms and a large knife from a vehicle. Police said all 12 firearms allegedly stolen during the series of incidents, along with a large quantity of ammunition, had since been recovered.
Pair face a total of 45 charges
The Hervey Bay man has been charged with 30 offences. They include three counts of serious assault of a police officer, as well as allegations involving armed robbery, burglary, weapons and arson.
The West Gladstone man has been charged with 15 offences, including one count of serious assault of a police officer, along with weapons, arson and burglary allegations.
Both men appeared in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Friday and were refused bail. The charges remain allegations and neither man has been found guilty.
Police praise officers involved
Inspector Mahony described the officers involved in the operation as “incredibly courageous”, saying they had confronted an allegedly armed and desperate offender. He also urged other members of the community affected by the events to contact police.
The investigation is continuing as detectives assemble evidence from the various locations involved. The recovery of the firearms and ammunition will form a central part of that inquiry, alongside police video and evidence connected to the allegedly stolen and burned vehicles.
Featured image: Queensland Police Service helicopter at Caloundra, photographed by FlightJeremy, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
