TRAGIC LOSS

Young Man Dies After Fatal Police Shooting

The holiday town of Airlie Beach is in deep shock this week following a tragic incident where 24-year-old man who was allegedly armed with a knife, charged at police causing them to fire upon him between four to five times, one allegedly causing a fatal injury.

The incident took place at 12.20am on Saturday, October 1 in the centre of Airlie Beach’s Safe Night Precinct and close to Boom Nightclub.

Superintendent Graeme Paine from Queensland Police said that everyone involved is trying to come to terms with a split-second decision that has now impacted on so many lives.

“It’s a tragic circumstance for the family of the young man and also for the officers involved and we are providing support,” he said.

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The Saddest Of Days

A split-second that ended with a tragic loss of life has sent ricochets of sadness, anger, frustration, and injustice right across the country.

While many have commented that the police used excessive force during the event that saw 24-year-old Luke Gilbert fatally shot, others observed that because police officers risk their lives going to work every day, they have the right to defend themselves.

Both sides of the argument represent a fair view, and while Luke’s family and friends are undoubtedly dealing with the tremendous grief of his loss, there is no doubt the broader police community are also struggling to process the trauma of the event, too.

Luke Gilbert was allegedly armed with a knife when he approached police in Airlie Beach just after midnight last Friday.

It is alleged he threatened officers by advancing on them and was subsequently shot in the upper body.

Nearby residents heard up to five shots fired and two are believed to have hit nearby cars, while one caused the fatal injury.

“The fact that two cars were shot is crazy, those bullets could have gone anywhere and hit anyone!” said a bystander.

Seconds after the shots were fired officers rendered immediate first aid before transporting Luke to Proserpine Hospital but he was declared deceased a short time later.

The crime scene in the heart of Airlie Beach, near Boom Nightclub, was cordoned off and the road was closed until around 4pm the following afternoon.

Luke Gilbert is originally from Manchester in the UK but had been living in Western Australia for some years before moving to Townsville for work some months ago.

It is understood that he was on holiday in Airlie Beach with his girlfriend when the incident occurred.

Luke’s brother, Zac, who resides in Western Australia took to social media over the weekend outraged that such a strong reaction was provoked from what he believes was a 4cm penknife – alleging police used excessive force.

“There’s a lot of speculation in the media about the circumstances surrounding the loss of my brother but just know the truth is excess force was used on him which killed him and that can never be undone, they didn’t try the taser, the baton or the pepper spray first they went straight for the guns carelessly,” read the post.

“Life will never be the same, he deserved a lot better than this! I can’t believe this has happened, R.I.P my loving brother.”

While the investigation is now with the Ethical Standards Command and no further information is available at present, Queensland Police Union representative Ian Leavers did state that officers had no other option than to use a gun.

“This person started engaging with police and suddenly produced a knife and started threatening their lives,” he said.

“Had a taser been an option, it would have been used but it was simply not possible.”

Two officers were present at the time of the incident, one who is believed to have 13 years’ experience in the police force and the other with three years.

They were wearing body cameras and there is CCTV footage of the event, all of which will be used to assist with investigations.

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