Brett Andrew

DETAILS OF DEATH

On the afternoon of Monday 29 May 2017, Senior Constable Brett Forte was performing duties as a member of the Darling Downs District Tactical Crime Squad, Toowoomba. He and his partner, driving a police vehicle, were following a known dangerous, wanted, male offender along the Warrago Highway. Senior Constable Forte continued to follow the vehicle off the highway and onto Wallers Road, Ringwood, when the male offender quickly alighted from his vehicle and opened fire with an automatic weapon on the police vehicle. Two of the bullets fired at Senior Constable Forte hit him in the chest. Injured, he reversed the police car to a safer distance away from the offender; however, he then lost consciousness and the police vehicle rolled over. Courageous actions were taken by his partner and other police officers who had been travelling behind in separate vehicles, to remove the unconscious Senior Constable Forte safely from the scene whilst they were continually under fire. The offender fled to a contained location nearby and 20 hours later was shot and killed by specialist police when he fired his automatic weapon at them. Senior Constable Forte is survived by his wife, who is also a police officer and three children.