Snr Sgt Lance Guteridge
July 3, 2018
Police from the Tactical Crime Squad have been called in to boost numbers in the Murgon and Cherbourg areas following an incident at the weekend where officers were pelted with rocks and bottles.
Officer-in-charge of Murgon Police, Senior Sergeant Lance Guteridge, said the the unit would add some more resources to the area.
Eleven people – adults and juveniles – have now been charged in connection with a stolen car and subsequent incidents which occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Snr Sgt Guteridge said those arrested were facing a total of 32 charges, including unlawful use of a motor vehicle, serious assault on a police officer, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, and break-and-enter.
He said the vehicle involved in the incident, a red Holden Colorado dual-cab ute, had been stolen from Murgon earlier in the week.
It was then linked to an alleged ram raid at the Commercial Hotel bottleshop in Kingaroy in the early hours of Friday morning.
Police spotted the vehicle at Wondai on Friday night.
Snr Sgt Guteridge said spikes (tyre deflaters) were laid across the highway between Wondai and Murgon, which deflated a passenger side tyre on the vehicle.
However, the driver did not stop and the vehicle continued on to Cherbourg, driving on its rims, followed by two police pod cars (paddy wagons).
When the vehicle stopped, the five occupants attempted to flee.
Snr Sgt Guteridge said at least one person at the scene attempted to help police but others pelted the officers with rocks and bottles.
“One female officer was hit from behind on the head by what we first thought was a rock but now believe was a bottle,” he said.
He said three police officers were injured, including two women, but fortunately none required hospitalisation.
The officers were from Cherbourg and Kingaroy stations.
Snr Sgt Guteridge said eight of the 11 people charged had been held in custody, with some due to face Murgon Court on Tuesday.
Unfortunately, Saturday morning’s incident was “nothing new”.
“We get windows busted in our cars all the time, but when it gets into social media, everyone starts to panic,” Snr Sgt Guteridge said.
UPDATE July 4: A 20-year-old Cherbourg man and two boys have been charged in relation to the alleged ram raid at the Kingaroy bottleshop.
- Related article: Police Officers Pelted With Rocks
