source : the age
A man has allegedly gone on an hours-long crime spree and shot at police officers after stealing a dozen guns from a house on the Sunshine Coast.
Inspector John Mahony said the guns, along with a car, were taken from a house in Childers in the early hours of Thursday.
The burnt-out shell of that car was found at Lake Macdonald, close to Noosa, later that day.
Police will allege the same men were responsible for another burglary in Lake Macdonald, where a second vehicle was stolen, and was found on the road in Nambour at around 10am.
Mahony said the driver, allegedly a 21-year-old from Hervey Bay, rammed a police car and evaded officers, but the 42-year-old passenger, who was from Gladstone, was arrested after exiting the vehicle and trying to escape.
The vehicle was tracked travelling north on the Bruce Highway around lunchtime, Mahony said.
“That vehicle was subsequently surveilled into the Noosa Heads area. Police attempted to intercept that vehicle on several occasions,” he said.
Mahony said the driver managed to evade police attempts to stop the vehicle, and then dumped the vehicle in Noosa Springs recreation area, taking with him a long-arm firearm police will allege was taken during the first burglary.
“The person fired one round at the police chopper, which was nearby. A short time later, police suspect the man also fired a single shot at a police officer in a police vehicle,” he said.
He is alleged to have fled on foot, entered a nearby home with the gun, and stolen the keys to a car from a woman inside the house.
Mahony said that car was found driving on the wrong side of the road nearby and rammed by an unmarked police car.
“A short time later the driver of the stolen vehicle was arrested by police,” he said, adding the man was also allegedly carrying a large hunting knife.
Police were expected to charge the man overnight on Thursday at the Nambour Hospital, where he was under police guard.
Police believe he may have tried to steal other cars while armed with the gun in Noosa Springs, and were calling for any potential victims to get in touch.
He said these attempts would have been between 1 and 1.30pm, and the man was wearing a white shirt with blue shorts, before taking off his shirt.
“We are fairly certain there will be other community members who will be directly impacted,” Mahony said.
He said only 10 of the 12 stolen guns had been recovered by police, and the two men were related.
The 21-year-old is expected to appear in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Friday morning.
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