Current Murder of QLD Police officer Brett Forte

[SmAshmoto]

Source: News.com.au

Senior Constable Brett Forte, a father of two, was shot in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley on Monday afternoon when a man got out of his vehicle and opened fire on a number of police cars with an automatic weapon.

The gunman, who The Courier-Mail identified as “career criminal” Rick Maddison, is in a stand-off with police in an area near Gatton in southeast Queensland.

That stand-off is continuing this morning, with officers in contact with Maddison, who is in a shipping container.

A police spokesman said there had been “no major developments” overnight.

Residents told the Courier-Mail how the drama unfolded on Monday.

“We were told to run. They said just go,” Kyal Pennell said.

“Police had machine guns and they were on our back doorstep.”

A new video has emerged of fellow officers attempting to resuscitate Snr Const Forteafter the shooting.

The heartbreaking footage, obtained by theDaily Mail, shows cops performing mouth-to-mouth and heart massage in a ditch beside a police car.

When officers notice the woman shooting the video, they yell at her to “get inside” and “get away from the window” because the shooter was still at large.

As the siege started last night, Maddison was apparently heard laughing as he fired at the police helicopter from a sheltered position, reported The Courier Mail.

Queensland Police confirmed that Snr Const Forte had died in a statement on Monday night.

“A hero lost his life today,” Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan said.

The incident began about 2pm when police attempted to stop a vehicle being driven by a “person of interest” on Wellers Rd at Seventeen Mile, near Toowoomba.

Snr Const Forte’s fellow officers were able to move him away and extract themselves from the scene.

Police are in negotiations with the gunman, who fled the vehicle into nearby bushland.

While neighbours reported hearing what sounded like machinegun fire, police did not confirm details about the weapon.

Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart described the situation as an “active scene” and said the gunman was considered to be “at large”.

“Obviously we want to resolve this situation as peacefully as humanly possible,” he said.

Officers from the Special Emergency Response Team have arrived at the scene and a huge area has been locked down around Seventeen Mile, 115km west of Brisbane.

Gatton resident Kyal Pennell told news.com.au that he heard the first shots, which sounded like machine gun fire, about 2.30pm and then a police siren for about 15 minutes.

“Then there was basically gunfire every 10 to 15 minutes from about 2.45pm through to 4.30pm,” he said.

“It was pretty scary, I wasn’t sure what to think, I wasn’t sure what was going on and I couldn’t see anything. I was only hoping it wasn’t getting any closer.”

Mr Pennell said he was eventually evacuated about 5.30pm and was now staying at a hotel with his family as police continued to hunt for the shooter.

Snr Const Forte was part of Toowoomba’s Tactical Crime Squad and worked with Queensland Police for about 15 years.

“My thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues ... along with millions of Queenslanders, I pay tribute to his service,” Mr Ryan said in his tribute.

“He will never be forgotten.

“With honour, he served.”

There were also unconfirmed reports shots were fired at a police helicopter, which was forced to land for its own safety

The News article has the aforementioned video. I'm not posting it for obvious reasons.

My thoughts : a senseless murder that will end with Maddison blowing his own head off in that shipping container.

 

[AAACockburn]

Cops beat him to it.

 

[Vooligan]

Horrible circumstances. Feel for the family and friends of the officer. No one should have to go through that by just trying to earn a decent living for your family.

As for the gunman, would've been better rotting in a prison for the rest of his life.

 

[rdhopkins2]

Very sad news to lose another cop in the line of duty. From the sounds of it the gunman laid a trap for them.

It was disgusting that his family were heckled at a memorial for him by supporters of the gunman.

 

[Vooligan]

Very sad news to lose another cop in the line of duty. From the sounds of it the gunman laid a trap for them.

It was disgusting that his family were heckled at a memorial for him by supporters of the gunman.

The hecklers should've have been arrested for..... I don't know what, but something. Disgusting behaviour.

 

[Lebbo73]

The hecklers should've have been arrested for..... I don't know what, but something. Disgusting behaviour.

Who ******* hecks at the memorial of a dead police officer? Wtf is wrong with people?

 

[Vooligan]

Who ******* hecks at the memorial of a dead police officer? Wtf is wrong with people?

They must have been doing it for a reaction. I can't see any logic to it though. What were they trying to prove?

 

[IKE TURNER]

what makes this whole incident even more tragic this career criminal has been committing more and more serious crimes with no real punishment until something like this happens, courts and judges have blood on their hands, if you keep letting people off they keep reoffending and think they are untouchable and normal hard working law abiding people end up copping it.

 

[yodellinhank]

To us he was not the one-dimensional career criminal which the media are now portraying but rather a loved son, brother, nephew, uncle, grandson, friend and mate to many and as such will be sadly mourned

there has never been a bad person ever die in Australia, after their death its always 'was a great family man, loveable larrikin who would give you the shirt off his back' etc etc

 

[Lebbo73]

They must have been doing it for a reaction. I can't see any logic to it though. What were they trying to prove?

what makes this whole incident even more tragic this career criminal has been committing more and more serious crimes with no real punishment until something like this happens, courts and judges have blood on their hands, if you keep letting people off they keep reoffending and think they are untouchable and normal hard working law abiding people end up copping it.

The wife of Brett Forte was outside the police station here in Toowoomba laying flowers and someone drove past and said "what about Rick?"

 

[Snake_Baker]

The fact that a cop got killed is completely and utterly irrelevant.

It's a tragedy when any person is killed.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

The fact that a cop got killed is completely and utterly irrelevant.

Well not really, when the fact he was a police officer is the sole reason he was killed.