Constable 1st Class
Gregory James OLIVE
YEAR OF DEATH
1962
JURISDICTION
Queensland
DETAILS OF DEATH
On 19 February 1962 Constable Olive went to premises at Kelvin Grove to make a routine investigation into wilful damage to property. The suspect was a naturalised Australian named Piotr Michalewicz who had spend 11 years in the Polish Army many of which had been spend in Stalag Camps during World War II as a prisoner of war. Michalewicz was terrified of persons in authority or anyone in uniform as a result of inhuman treatment in the concentration camps. After Constable Olive had knocked on the door it was flung open and Olive was shot in the chest at near point blank range with a.303 rifle. He staggered backwards to the footpath and then collapsed. An Army medical officer was at the scene and saw the incident but wasn’t able to assist Olive as he died instantly. Other Police arrived and there was a shoot out before police stormed the house to take the man into custody. Sergeant S.A. Walker was awarded the George Medal for his actions in apprehending Michalewicz. Michalewicz was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment and died in Bogga Road jail in 1985. Constable First Class G.J. Olive is buried in Brisbane’s Toowong cemetery.
