Plan B Forum

The family of a Gold Coast police officer shot while trying to stop an armed robbery will turn off his life support.

Detective Senior Constable Damian Leeding was shot in the face at the Pacific Pines Tavern on Sunday night.

The Queensland Police Service on Tuesday said his family would turn off his life support in the next 24 hours based on medical advice.

"The Queensland Police Service is, and will continue, to provide every possible support to the family of DSC Leeding during this incredibly sad time," a statement said.

DSC Leeding’s wife Sonya — also a Gold Coast police officer — and their two children, baby Grace and two-year-old Hudson, have maintained a vigil by his bedside.

His father-in-law Garry O’Brien described him as not just his son-in-law but a good friend and family man.

"[He’s] a guy who lives for the next day, worships his family and kids," Mr O’Brien told Nine News.

Mr O’Brien said the family was focused on taking care of DSC Leeding’s children.

"The children are the priority now and everybody is doing their darndest to make sure that side of the family is kept intact."

Det Leeding’s colleagues have visited him in hospital to lend their support to his family.

Three people have been remanded in custody over the shooting, Phillip Abell, Benjamin Power and Donna McAvoy.

All three were refused bail when they appeared in court today.

Forensic police reconstructed the shooting outside the Pacific Pine Tavern, but it was too much for some officers, who left in tears.

Sadly this is going to keep happening and we the Australian Public were forced to give up most of our rights to own firearms so the incresing number of gun related crime would be stopped.
I for one was told by my x-wife to give up my hand gum lisance and serrender all my long arms. I went to reaply for a gun permit ( last year seperated for 9 years now)and how's this I have to get her to say I am not a threat to her safty, befoe I can get a lisance.

Did the new laws stop the rising number of crims using guns? No
Did the polies that made these laws listen to the public who are members of the shooting comunity? No

What was the top of the law changes other than remove our rights to own a firearm? A minnimum of 10 years for any crime where a gun is used, after that ten years is spent in jail, then you get to stand before a Judge for the crime you used the gun in.
So if you commit a robbery and you use a gun. Ten years for the gun and after that you might get 4 or 5 for the robbery.
Why take our rights away when it would be better to convict the people that commit a crime.

I feel so sorry for his family and Hope the courts make this bunch of scum pay. They wont and chances are the sentancing will not make up for their lose.
SO give them a thorght and be thankfull there are people out there who do that job.

Since all we ever get to see is anti-gun bashing from the Aussie crowd this is a refreshing perspective Ardvark. Thanks for posting it.

Such a shame that the wife and children have to go through switching off his life support, so sad.

old but still true
When you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns

and the other
An armed society is a polite society.
I support the law abiding citizens right to keep and bare arms.

I am in the process of trying to get a handgun permit here on Long Island and the state of New York (just because. I don't need/want a handgun and if I got one it would only be for pistol range use). Never have been convicted of anything other than a traffic ticket. Have owned my house and lived in it for 25 years and have the same wife and raised a family here. Been squeaky clean and still it's a two year process and at the end of it they can still say no without explanation. Rifles/shotguns require nothing more than a drivers license/state ID.

Some people think possession defines the usage; whereas in the US, you are free to use your possession.

I support the law abiding citizens right to keep and bare arms.

Glad you still have the right to wear short sleeve shirts on Long Island.


I am happy to report that it is a pretty straight and quick route to get a hand gun permit here in Indiana.
We have the highest rate of gun permits in the country, or we did recently anyway.

If you want to bear arms move out here.

The news came out the Lifesupport was shut down at 1pm to day. His Widow said "He was to good to leave like that. He would never have wanted to be remembered like this"

I was talking to a friend today about the gun laws and the shooting.. It was funny it was leagle for a publican to hold a hand gun in the office behind the bar for self protection up untill the 80's..
Now I wonder if the shooting on the weekend or the rash of armed hold ups would of happened on th eGold Coast if the publicans could still have their guns?
The best sticker I have ever seen was on the office of a pub in Brisbane. It read "I do have a gun. I do know how to use it. You can find out how good I am"

I think the chances are Crims would think twice before robbing a place if they had a chance of getting shot on the way out of the door..
Sadly we will keep seeing our policemen and women getting hurt or dead because our goverment said it is better to stop the public protecting themselves and give the crims more fire power than most of our coppers have.

Aardy, isn't it nice that we don't have more of these crimes.

How often are police fatally injured elsewhere? Here this news has made every major bulletin in every State and Territory.

What is the difference?

Oddly Hen I think the difference is we as Australians still have a little respect for our Police. But lately the armed crime on the Gold Coast has spirriled out of controle, I knew this was going to happen sooner or later. I hope you know how many armed robberies have been commited on the GC this year? How about the South side of Bris to GC? So many that they are getting less and less press. That is the really sad part to this story.

Like I said up till the 80's publicans often kept a gun in the office, this was a good deterant. Now the laws are making it harder for the public to be armed or even defend themselves. You can be charged for injering a person who attempts to rob you.

I would love to see the laws changed so the use of a gun is what puts the crim in gail for a minnimum of 10 years. it is after that ten years you stand for the crime.
Just don't like having the rights of all Australians removed because there are a few powerfull people that don't see why we deserve these rights.

Ever think we lost most of our rights to own or use a firearm. Then we lost the right to have a pocket knife in your pocket or on your belt. It is ileagle to defend someone (stranger) if you think they are being assulted (you have to ask both or all parties if they are being or are assulting the other)
This happend and we let it because a small group decided it is in our best interest to make these cahnges. Lastly in all recored history after a government has removed the rights of the public, thoes rights are never returned.

I am not saying a gun in every home or we should be carring a gun as we walk the kids to school. Just give everyone the right to defend thenselves if they want to. that doesn't mean with a gun.
We are just going to see this get worse till some one important gets hurt or an unlucky copper shoots the wrong person.
A big deterant in Aus was not knowing if the shop, pub, home a crim entered was armed and could defend themselves.