Brett Timothy HANDRAN

On 29 June 1989, Plain Clothes Constable Brett Handran and Plain Clothes Constable Steve Clarey of the Juvenile Aid Bureau responded to a call for police assistance at a domestic disturbance at a block of units in Wynnum West, Brisbane, where shots had been fired and people injured.

Meanwhile, in Wynnum West, a troubled man named Dolerud had stabbed his wife in an argument and then armed himself with a high-powered rifle and began firing indiscriminately into the street.

Handran and Clarey arrived at the scene along with other police units. Handran exited the car first and headed over to speak to other nearby police officers. Handran had not taken more than four steps from his car, and Clarey had just alighted, when Handran was shot in the chest. He staggered over to another police car and took cover. Clarey called for an ambulance on the police radio and, just before he resumed cover behind the car door, a bullet grazed his head.

Handran was still conscious when the ambulance arrived but died on the way to hospital. Police were kept at bay for 20 minutes by Dolerud until he committed suicide at the scene. During the incident he shot and killed his two-year-old daughter and Constable Handran, and seriously wounded four other people.