Two men have been charged with attempted murder after allegedly firing shots at police during a four-hour high-speed pursuit spanning nearly 200km from southern Queensland to northern New South Wales. The pair are accused of stealing three vehicles at gunpoint and striking a police officer with a car before their capture in Tweed Heads.
The incident began on Thursday morning in Caboolture, north of Brisbane, when police pulled over an allegedly stolen vehicle. The men fled, hitting an officer’s leg with their car. They then allegedly stole a second vehicle, a 4WD containing a woman and a young child, forcing the woman to remove the child before driving off. After realising the 4WD was low on fuel, they stole a third car, a blue Mitsubishi Lancer, and headed south.
A Queensland police helicopter tracked the Lancer as it travelled down the Pacific Motorway, reaching speeds of up to 160km/h. NSW police, alerted to the men’s approach, deployed road spikes near the Tugun tunnel, stopping the car. The 32-year-old driver then got out, armed with a semi-automatic handgun, and fired a shot at an officer before also shooting at a passing car.
The gun was knocked from his hand when he was struck by a vehicle, allowing officers to arrest him. The second occupant, aged 20, was arrested without incident. Both men appeared at Tweed Heads Local Court on Friday and were refused bail. They face charges including shooting with intent to murder, discharging a firearm to avoid arrest, attempted carjacking, and Skye’s Law, which relates to police pursuits. Further charges are expected.
