A former military officer with a history of mental health incidents has been shot dead by police after emerging from his home in suburban Brisbane armed with a rifle and wearing full tactical gear, in circumstances that the Queensland Police Union has described as a possible case of “suicide by cop.”
Jordan Thomas Kirk, 48, was killed by two Queensland Police officers in the early hours of Sunday morning outside a property on Cavill Way in Narangba, in the Moreton Bay region of southeast Queensland. Officers had responded to a domestic violence call for help from inside the home and had been warned upon arrival that Kirk was armed, the Courier Mail reported.
According to police, Kirk emerged from the property at around 12.30am dressed in camouflage clothing and a tactical vest, carrying a long-arm rifle. When he allegedly advanced on officers and threatened them with the weapon, they opened fire. First aid was administered immediately at the scene, but Kirk died from his injuries.
Moreton District Acting Chief Superintendent Kerry Johnson said the encounter had escalated with little warning. “He advanced towards police, they did verbal commands, and then did a tactical withdrawal from the situation,” he said. “There is nothing at this stage that causes me concern about our police actions, and we absolutely support our members and we train them, we supply them, we resource them and do all we can, but unfortunately these things happen.”
Kirk had a significant history of interactions with police involving both mental health crises and domestic violence. He had previously been subject to an Emergency Examination Authority — a provision that allows emergency services to involuntarily detain a person considered to be a danger to themselves or others.
Queensland Police Union president Shane Prior said that history was central to understanding what happened on Sunday morning. “From what we know so far, mental health seemed to be at play here and will form part of the investigation,” he said. “It would seem on the facts known that suicide by cop is a very real thing that needs to be investigated here.”
The two officers involved — one with six years of experience, the other a woman in only her second year of service — were both said to be shaken by the incident. Kirk, who was a member of the United Service Club of Queensland, had been living at the Narangba address with his wife.
The shooting is being investigated by Queensland Police’s Ethical Standards Command under the oversight of the Crime and Corruption Commission. The matter has also been referred to the state coroner.
