Sister relives raw pain

Police shooting ‘deja vu’

The sister of a North Queensland man shot dead by police says she relived the excruciating “pain” of her brother’s loss just weeks later, after another man was killed by officers in the South East.

Steven Angus, 52, was shot by police in Townsville on April 21, hours after he was released from Townsville University Hospital after trying to take his own life.

Four weeks later, a 29-yearold man was shot dead by police in Grange on Sunday when he lunged at officers with a knife and pitchfork, a day after he was released from hospital for a mental health incident.

Mr Angus' sister Linda Angus said watching it happen again in similar circumstances had retraumatised her. “Seeing the pictures of his family in their shock and grief was deja vu,” she said. “I felt I was reliving the death of my brother all over again … I cried when I saw the raw pain and horror of the woman in the photo.”

Mr Angus, a veteran, was taken to hospital on April 20 after a two-hour siege with police at a Kirwan house where he was trying to harm himself. He was meant to be transferred to Townsville Private Clinic after sobering up at the public hospital, but was never moved there, and instead released into the community the next day. Just hours later, he was again threatening self-harm and police were called to his house.

But this time, Mr Angus was armed with knives and ran at police when he was fatally shot in the chest.

Townsville Hospital and Health Service chief executive Kieran Keyes has committed to a full investigation into Mr Angus’ care.

Ms Angus said there were questions to be answered by the health system and Queensland Police Service.

“If the health system doesn’t believe an individual is a threat to themselves or others, then they are released. We are still trying to figure out the breakdown of why my brother wasn’t transferred to the clinic,” she said. “It was the QPS who pulled the trigger, they hold an enormous responsibility for my brother and this other man’s death.”

On Sunday, police were called to a house in Grange where they received reports a man armed with a knife was trying to stab his father.

The 29-year-old man lunged at police with a pitchfork and knives, and was fatally shot by officers.

Paramedics were called to a mental health incident involving the same man a day earlier and took him to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, but he was released.

Metro North Hospital and Health Service chief operating officer Jane Hancock committed to a clinical review.

Ms Angus questioned why both men were fatally shot, instead of being shot in a limb or tasered.

QPS Commissioner Katarina Carroll said sometimes police had “little options”.

Queensland Police have committed to a full Ethical Standards Command investigation into both shootings.