Martin Cole-
A veteran police officer who had been in the Australian police force for more than three decades was shot dead when he visited a home in regional South Australia over reports of a disturbance.
Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig was killed when he attended to a seemingly routine call to an isolated rural property in Senior, 15 kilometers north of Bordertown, where officers were responding to reports of a dog being shot.
Desperate efforts to save his life by his colleagues were sadly in vain.
Three officers, Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig, 53, Constable Rebekah Cass, 31, and Sergeant Michael Hutchinson, 59, were confronted by an armed suspect- 26 year old Jaydn Stimson- in the small town of Senior, about three hours south-east of Adelaide, late on Thursday night.
Tragically, Stimson allegedly shot and fatally wounded Doig, who succumbed to his injuries despite the valiant efforts of fellow officers and paramedics at the scene.
Stimson is also accused of shooting Bordertown officer Sergeant Michael Hutchinson, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries and is receiving medical care in Adelaide.
Constable Rebekah Cass, the third officer present, emerged unscathed from the incident. Stimson, shot by police during the confrontation, is under police guard in Adelaide.
It is understood the trio exchanged gunfire with a 26-year-old man that left the two Sergeants with gunshot injuries. Cons Cass was not physically harmed.
South Australia is coming to terms with the devastating aftermath of its first deadly police shooting in nearly four decades
Stimson is also accused of shooting Bordertown officer Sergeant Michael Hutchinson, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries and is receiving medical care in Adelaide.
Mourning
The community of Lucindale and Bordertown is in mourning, with tributes pouring in for the well-respected and beloved officer. Flowers and condolences have been left at the police station in Lucindale, with the main street’s shops closed in a mark of respect for Sergeant Doig.
Doug, the officer-in-charge of Lucindale Police Station, was not only a dedicated police officer but also actively involved in various sporting clubs.
Friends and community members describe him as a caring human being, involved in clubs such as the cricket club, footy club, and surf lifesaving at the school pool.
The shock and grief is palpable, with a shrine of flowers growing outside the police station, symbolizing the collective sorrow of the tight-knit community.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas, expressed over the killing .
He noted that it has been over 20 years since a serving police officer lost their life in the line of duty and, shockingly, since 1985 that a serving police officer has lost their life at the hands of a firearm.
The premier has offered a state funeral for Doig and ordered flags at government buildings to be flown at half-mast. The tragic event has prompted an outpouring of support from political figures, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressing his condolences to Doig’s family.
Police Association president Mark Carroll conveyed the collective grief within the police community, emphasizing the profound loss and the need for justice.
Foreign Minister and South Australian Senator Penny Wong acknowledged the daily risks police officers face to keep communities safe, expressing deep sadness for the loss.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting are now under investigation, with Police Commissioner Grant Stevens acknowledging the tragic incident as a profound loss for South Australian Police.
He emphasized that every South Australian police officer, along with those in other forces, would be impacted by Doig’s death. Stevens assured a full inquiry into the incident, recognizing the sacrifice made by Doig and the inherent risks associated with policing.
South Australia’s Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said: “This is a tragic event that will have wide-ranging effects not just for police but people who rely on police for the safety and security they enjoy in our community,” Stevens told reporters.
“I can only offer my sincerest condolences to Jason’s family and we hope Michael recovers quickly from his injuries.”
According to SA Police, it was the first death of an officer in the line of duty since 2002.
Stevens said Doig had served in the SA Police since 1989 and announced a commissioner’s inquiry into his death.
In a statement posted on social media, Penny Wong, Australia’s foreign minister and a senator for SA, said she was “devastated” for the family of Doig and offered condolences to his family and the police community. ■