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A hotel patron speaks on her experience of the siege in Browns Plains
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RAW NEWS: Police have shut down the suburb of Algester in a hunt for two men involved in an earlier firearm incident.
A MAN has been taken into custody following a police drama that stretched from the Gold Coast to Brisbane’s south and caused a siege at a bottleshop and the lockdown of two schools.
The drama began on the Gold Coast and unfolded across Logan City into the southern Brisbane suburbs of Algester and Browns Plains.
The Courier-Mail reported earlier today police had pursued a car all morning following a road rage incident at Southport on the Gold Coast before travelling to Marsden in Logan City.
Police said a handgun was produced during a dispute at Smith St, Southport between a black Audi and a blue wagon around 10am today.
The Audi, which had two men inside, then followed the wagon down the Logan Motorway when it fired a single shot towards it on Wembley Rd, Woodridge around 12:30pm.
The two men in the Audi left the scene and the car was later located at Algester in Brisbane’s south, causing police to declare an emergency situation and cordon off streets in the suburb about 1.30pm.
Police searched the area with dogs after a suspect disappeared between two houses on Bridelia St.
Algester State School and St Stephen’s Catholic Primary School were locked down as a precaution, the lockdown later lifted in time for parents to collect their children after school.
One resident, Harry Smith, said he and his mum had not been visited by police but were staying inside their home.
Mr Smith said the street was “like a ghost town” while his mum, Julie, said she had been out on the street earlier and noticed several streets were blocked off by police cars.
“I’ve locked all my doors,” Mr Smith said.
“I have my german shepherd on patrol out the back as well so I will know if anyone comes into our yard. All I know is police are looking for people who are hiding out there somewhere.
“Everything’s pretty quiet.”
About 1.30pm a witness, Kirsten Telfer, spotted a man on a red bicycle, shirtless with a black shirt around wrapped his shoulders.
About 2.05pm another witness, Madonna Simon, said she saw a small grey car speeding on the wrong side of the road with up to five police cars following it.
It is understood that later, two men managed to escape the heavy police presence in Algester and drove to Browns Plains where they crashed at an intersection on Browns Plains Rd.
They then ran inside a hotel, with SERT teams, paramedics and five police cars used to block Browns Plains Rd northbound.
A witness said she and other patrons had been moved from the Brown Plains Hotel to the First Choice bottleshop behind it.
“We were in the hotel when cops ran in with their guns pulled out and asked if we’d seen anyone,” Tina Jaxon said.
“I didn’t see them at all but one of the other patrons here saw the (car) pull a U-turn and crash.
“We’re all stuck in here and it’s full-on.”
About 3.50pm (AEST), police using sniffer dogs located a man in the Browns Plains Hotel and took him into custody. The man was arrested and taken from the scene in a police vehicle.
Following the arrest, the people caught up in the siege were allowed to leave the shop.
Police later said no one had been injured in the unfolding drama, and a man was now assisting with their inquiries.
Police thanked the public for their co-operation, and would also like to speak to anyone who may have seen a black Audi A4 sedan in the Woodridge or Algester areas this morning.
Anyone with information relating to this incident should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppers.com.au 24 hours a day.
See anything? MMS details or a picture to 0428 258 117