 Thank you for coming. I'm very pleased to announce that at approximately 2.30 this afternoon, detectives investigating this very tragic serious crime have arrested two male persons aged 37 and 38 and one female person aged 37 from the Kumra, Narang area on one charge of attempted murder of Detective Senior Constable Damien Leading, one count of armed robbery of the Pacific Pines Tavern and seven counts of deprivation of liberty of the staff, patrons and security at that premises at that time it will be alleged. They will all be charged conjuitely with those three different charges and appear in the Southport Magistrates Court at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. Detective Senior Constable Damien Leading is still presently in the Gold Coast Hospital intensive care unit. His family are with him supporting him. He's gravely ill and our sincere best wishes go to him and his family at this time. They'll be conjuitely charged with those three offenses, correct? They'll be conjuitely charged with the attempted murder. They'll be conjuitely charged with armed robbery and they'll be conjuitely charged with seven counts of deprivation of liberty. You have three people, are there any other people of interest that you're looking for? Not that I'm aware of in this investigation the three offenders that will be alleged are in custody and will be appearing before the Southport Magistrates Court tomorrow morning. Can you elaborate a little bit on his condition? He received a gunshot wound to the head and is currently in a critical condition in hospital. Sir are you looking at these people being responsible for any other armed robberies on the Gold Coast? At this time the investigators are perusing all the evidence that's been attained from the investigation and we'll be looking at others. As you were aware we have been successful in arresting a number of the armed robbery offenders here on the Gold Coast, the Logan District and the Metropolitan South and North Regions of Brisbane. As you're aware we extradited two offenders from Northern New South Wales last week which have been charged with a number of armed robbery and other serious criminal offences here on the Gold Coast. There has been a large number of offenders arrested and charged with a large number of armed robbery offences in recent weeks here on the Gold Coast. Can you confirm whether one of these men at least is known to police already? I would say that all three persons are known to police. Well what's your feeling about the general situation with armed robberies? Obviously a lot of concern leading up to this tragedy. Yes certainly and the community can be well concerned about armed robberies in the community. They've been targeted at soft targets where we these days are embarking on a new crime prevention strategy. It seems to be the modern target in recent times but the armed robberies this calendar year are no greater than the armed robberies last calendar year on the Gold Coast. The statistical data shows that since 2001 the armed robberies have gone to soft targets whereas historically throughout my three and a half year decade career they were earlier were armed robberies in relation to financial institutions and as we progress throughout the recent times they've gone to soft targets in relation to obtaining money. It is a grave concern to the community and the police and their convoy and convention people in the public are working well together in relation to our phase in conducting the investigations and as you've seen and heard there have been some very successful policing investigations and that will continue in relation to the evidence both material and other that were found in this investigation and looking at other unsolved robberies. The minister this morning said that it was up to the commissioner and his senior executives to formulate a policy on whether there's a specialist armed robbery unit needed on the Gold Coast. Can you offer any insight into that? I'm aware of that and I have had discussions with the commissioner and as the commissioner said this morning that matters on the table and being discussed you would all be aware that in recent times I've been allocated 14 extra detectives and my three and a half decades of policing that's the largest amount of detectives I've seen allocated in one hit to this area and they have been allocated to the Gold Coast and CUMRA CIVs. The areas that we're looking at are soft targets which are normally investigated by general detectives which is totally different from organized in major crime. At this point in time that matter is still for discussion and it's a matter that I will leave comment to the commissioner at this stage. Are you able to use a bit more of an insight on how things transpired overnight how they gained entry into the tavern how long they were inside the tavern? Look all I'm prepared to say at this stage is you would all be well aware the matter is now before the court and it'd be highly inappropriate for me to comment but I will say that it would appear that it's a planned event that the offenders have gone there it will be alleged that they have kidnapped and detained staff patrons and security at the premises and that the police responded while the armed robbery was in progress and the officers were performing their first response and other officers shortly thereafter and as a result of that these tragic circumstances have unfolded and the other officers responding early have detained in the close vicinity two of the principal offenders and our detectives and specialist unit later this morning have detained the third suspect and as a result of that our inquiries have been conducted where as I said with them all being charged approximately half an hour to 45 minutes ago. Assistant commissioner can you confirm if there was a gunfire between the officers and the defendants? At this stage the ballistics experts are still at the scene and it's quite obvious that there has been shots fired by the offenders in this matter and we're still conducting ballistics checks and investigations in relation to any possible shots fired by police officers. Can you break down the seven people who are held hostage? Are they three barman four punters? Who was who? There's a staff patrons and a security officer. One security officer? Two staff and four patrons. Outside of the psychological and being physically detained at this point in time there's nothing that's required them to be hospitalised. How long were they in? How long were they sort of held for? A short period of time and it'd probably be inappropriate for me to accompany it further. It's suffice to say the charge of deprivation of liberty and that they've been detained and that will be part of the brief of evidence. Will police allege that this shot was fired at close range? Again that's the ballistics experts are still at the scene unfortunately these matters do take a serious amount of time at the scenes to investigate. Our experts have been there all day and will be well there probably into the night and to tomorrow and at this point in time it'll be inappropriate and not possible for me to comment on that. Just clarifying you said that the female was arrested later at Narang the two men at the near the tavern? No the male one male offender and one female offender arrested it in a close proximity shortly after by first response police and one other male offender was arrested later this morning. And the three are they known to police for similar offences to armed robberies? I'm not prepared to comment in relation to that they are known to police. In a timeline do you have the exact time when a triple O call was made and where it was made from? At this time it's appropriate to say that the offence took place and the advice to police at about 10 45 p.m last night. Do you know whether that call came from inside the tavern or was it? I'm not prepared to comment in relation to that in relation it's part of the operational matters. I will say that Damien Leading is a very competent capable detective he epitomizes the courage and the work of detectives and police officers not only in Queensland Australia and worldwide. He led from the front his officer that was accompanying him was a a seven year female officer who was his detective partner and they were very brave in their duties and so were the first response junior constables and senior officers that went to this scene last night. Detective Damien Leading personifies what we have of a family man he's married to a police officer he's a superb athlete here locally and he has spent all his career here in Gold Coast surface paradise and either surface paradise or the detectives and recently 18 months ago went to commence a new detective office at Coombrans CIB. Assistant commissioner is there any security camera footage of the actual shooting incident? There is. So just part of picture of Damien's other interests in life he was a young family he had a young family. He does have two children. Yes he is a very fit triathlete athlete here locally he's a very fit man and it's extreme tragedy it's our worst nightmare as it is for any other person in society's worst nightmare for something but when a police officer is going about his duty and his oath of service to protect the community and first response to a murder like this to be in such a serious medical condition at the moment with grave fears for his life it is a very very serious and tragic incident. And the Sydney Constable's partner obviously this is a worst-case scenario as you say how do you categorize her response the training obviously kicked in? Exactly they're all professional and of course that will all be subject in relation to the investigation but they all behaved and performed extremely amiably in an operational sense under the very serious circumstances. And how are they all doing today? As you can well imagine they're all very stressed but the police families are marvellous organization we've all rallied around to look after them with their loved ones and their families. How quickly did they arrive after the 004? I can't comment on that. Was he shot before they arrived though? I can't comment on that. So I've got nothing further ladies and gentlemen I'll give another update tomorrow on each condition of anything changes and of course as you will be aware these three accused persons will appear in the Southport Magistrates Court at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. Thank you very much for your time and I appreciate your assistance.