Gunman confesses to journalist and hijacks news van – video
Barefoot biker flags down cameraman on side of the road before stealing his vehicle at gunpoint
A gunman flagged down a TV cameraman to confess that he had injured a woman before hijacking his news van at gunpoint then crashing into a petrol tank.
Peter Steer, a cameraman for Australia’s Channel 7 News, was rushing to a reported shooting in Brisbane when a barefoot biker signalled for him to pull over.
"He got off his bike and approached me and said ‘I’ve got a story for you’," said Steer. "I said ‘Well mate, you better hurry because I’m going to a shooting’, and he said ‘Mate, I'm the shooter.'"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In an extraordinary sequence of events, the gunman identifies himself as Jordy Brook and confesses that he has done an "extremely bad thing". Tearfully, he tells Steer: "I hope she’s alright. I think she’s dead."
Steer can be heard on tape calling the police, but he claims officers took half an hour to arrive.
As they are waiting, Brook suddenly jumps into the news van and points a gun at Steer, who urges the man not to be a "f***ing idiot".
As the suspect drives off, another of Steer’s cameras inside the van captures the moment Brook crashes into a sign, then into a petrol tank at a garage.
A witness at the petrol station said Brook got out of his car and demanded a cigarette lighter but police quickly managed to detain the suspect.
Firefighters were called out to deal with the leaking tank, which contained 7,000 litres of petrol, and surrounding streets were locked down for hours.
Brook, 45, was later charged with attempted murder, armed robbery, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of a weapon and unlawful damage.
Steer, who has been a cameraman since 1980, said he was not too shaken by the incident but probably needed a "large drink".
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Kamala Harris walks 'tightrope' on Israel, Gaza
The Explainer She's committed to Israel's defense, and ending Palestinian suffering. Are both possible?
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Go where few have gone before, the icy wilds of Greenland
The Week Recommends The world's biggest island has been flying under the radar, until recently
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
'Postwar Ukraine is going to be an intensely hostile neighbor'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published