A 25-year-old Queensland man has died following a cross-border police pursuit that ended in the New South Wales northern rivers region early Sunday morning. The incident began on the Gold Coast late Saturday night when police received reports of an armed man.
Pursuit Initiated on the Gold Coast
Shortly before midnight on Saturday, members of the public called Queensland police to report an armed man on Robina Town Centre Drive at Robina, on the Gold Coast. Queensland officers located a white Ford utility vehicle stationary nearby around 12:40 am. According to Queensland police, they attempted to detain the driver, but he evaded them and headed eastbound towards the Gold Coast Highway.
Cross-Border Chase into New South Wales
About 1 am on Sunday, Queensland officers notified their NSW police counterparts that the vehicle was headed across the border. NSW officers located the vehicle shortly after at Banora Point, just south of Tweed Heads. A NSW police statement said, “Officers directed the man to stop; however, he failed to do so, and a pursuit was initiated.”
Road Spikes and Final Crash
Police deployed road spikes twice at South Murwillumbah in an attempt to stop the vehicle. Despite this, the vehicle continued driving for approximately 20 kilometres before driving down an embankment. When officers arrived, they established a perimeter around the Ford and deployed police negotiators to speak to the man. However, as police approached the vehicle, they found the driver unconscious.
Death at the Scene
Police attempted CPR, but the man died at the scene. A firearm was seized from the vehicle. NSW police have declared a critical incident, which will be investigated by the state’s homicide squad and the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.
