Gunman Holed Up In Farmhouse After Fatal Police Shooting

Town in lockdown


Article heading image for Gunman Holed Up In Farmhouse After Fatal Police Shooting

Pics: Alleged gunman Rick Maddison (main) Senior Constable Brett Forte (insert)



Queensland police are mourning the death of one of their own while continuing a tense stand-off with the alleged killer. 


Negotiations with the gunman north-west of Brisbane have dragged on for more than 17 hours, following the fatal shooting of Queensland police officer Brett Forte. 

The Senior Constable was killed while attempting to pull over career criminal Rick Maddison, he allegedly opened fire after evading police during a traffic stop in the Lockyer Valley about 2pm yesterday afternoon.

After the attack Maddison fled to a farm shed near Gatton, where he's been holed up since 4pm Monday. Police say he has high-powered weapons - either automatic or semi automatic. He has been firing shots at the police chopper as it flies overhead, apparently heard laughing.

An exclusion zone area of more than 13km is still in lockdown, some residents inside the zone are being evacuated this morning while a dozen others were unable to access their homes late last night.

Local Terry, who was forced to sleep in his car overnight said his wife watched the shooting unfold very close to their front yard.

"She saw them working on him and trying to keep him alive, it was pretty bad for her," he said while speaking to Channel 9.

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There is a huge police presence on the scene including the Special Emergency Response Team, Homicide Squad, Ethical Standards Command, Scene of Crime scientists, negotiators and the dog squad in case Maddison tries to do a runner.  

Forte worked with the Queensland Police Service for more than 15 years, his wife is also in the force, so was his father. He leaves behind three children.

Pic: Facebook

President of the Police Union Ian Leavers worked with Forte in their early years.

"I spent some time with his family last night and some of his colleagues. They're all doing it very tough at the moment," Leavers said speaking to Channel Seven.

"We're just dismayed that this thing could happen."

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Tragically Forte's death, on May 29, comes exactly six years to the day since the last death of a Queensland Police Officer on the job. That was Detective Senior Constable Damian Leeding who was shot in the face while responding to an armed robbery at the Pacific Pines Tavern on the Gold Coast in 2011. 

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30 May 2017




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