On October 10, 1981, the Brisbane Mobile Patrol unit of Constable Dave Ellis and Constable Jock Rankin, was sent to Ethel Street, Chermside, to check out a report that shots were being fired in a flat at a block of units in that street. On arrival, the crew were told that a man had been shot and killed and that the armed offender was still in the area. Soon after their arrival at the units, the Constables noticed a vehicle leave a nearby driveway and, despite being challenged, the driver failed to stop and took off at high speed.
(Issue 49 of the Vedette: Journal of the Queensland Police Department, Nov 1981)
Constable Ellis was quick witted enough to note the registration of the vehicle and then the mobile crew gave chase as they radioed for assistance. The fugitive vehicle was chased at high speeds along Gympie, Lutwyche and Herston Roads to the Royal Brisbane Hospital by several police vehicles. The offender crashed his car through the plate glass wall into the foyer of the administration section of the hospital, and the first pursuing police vehicle followed the car into the hospital foyer to cut off his escape. The gunman leapt from the vehicle and began firing wildly at police officers, ignoring their pleas to surrender. Several officers, particularly Constable Rankin, were in danger of losing their lives because the gunman had superior fire power, but fortunately no police officer or innocent bystander was injured in the shooting. The incident came to a close when the gunman, seeing all his escape routes cut off, shot and killed himself.
Constable Jock Rankin told the story in his own words which was reported in Issue 49 of the Vedette: Journal of the Queensland Police Department (Nov 1981)
“The whole thing hinged on Constable Dave Ellis getting the registration number of the offender’s car,” Constable Rankin explained. “We were on foot in the street when he drove off in the dark, but Dave managed to get his number. By the time we reached our car, he had disappeared. He was out of sight for at least 30 seconds, and when we spotted him he was driving within the speed limit surrounded by a group of other cars. Other police coming to the scene could quite easily have missed him.”
Rankin continued “We have tried to stress all along that we weren’t the only ones involved. If it hadn’t been for the other police there, we might well be dead. It was a combined effort by everyone, in particular Constable 1/c Kev McCrae (Mobile Patrols), Constable 1/c Vic Doe, (Mobile Patrols), Constable 1/c Phil Deakin (Dog Squad), and Detective Sergeant John O’Gorman. John assessed the situation quickly and took control with the approval of all police there. He afforded the gunman every opportunity to surrender. We both cannot praise highly enough the actions of the other police…”
On September 16, 1983, five officers involved in the chase and events at the Royal Brisbane Hospital in November 1981: Constable Jock Rankin, Constable Dave Ellis, Constable 1/c Vic Doe, Constable 1/c Kev McCrae and Detective Sergeant 2/c John O’Gorman were awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct.
This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.
The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.
Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au
“Quick thinking Constables, 1981” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode