REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Thursday, June 29, 2000

BACKPACKERS arson suspect Robert Long was shot by police after slashing the face of an officer with a knife southeast of Childers during his capture.

Long was a fruitpicker and was arrested five days after the hostel fire that killed 15 backpackers.

Long, then 37, was in a stable condition in Maryborough Base Hospital after surgery and was under police guard.

He had been shot in the shoulder and arm.

The drama began when a couple driving past a reserve near Howard, 30km southeast of Childers, spotted Long crouched behind a tree about 3.30pm the previous day.

They alerted Special Emergency Response Team officers who had been combing nearby bush for Long after earlier sightings.

SERT officers, sniffer dogs and the Energex helicopter swooped on the area. It was understood a police dog cornered Long.

Police said at the time that when the dog’s handler intervened, Long struck out with a knife. A nearby SERT officer fired two shots, wounding Long.

Assistant Commissioner Graham Williams said the injured officer received superficial slash wounds to his face.

“There was a confrontation between a police dog and Long – they met in the bush headon,” Mr Williams said. “The dog had a go at him and tried to apprehend him but Long got the better of him at one stage.”

In 2002 Long was found guilty of two charges of murder and arson and sentenced to life in jail where he remains today.