Written 1st May 2012

For the last 2 weeks my family and I have co-operated fully with the ethical standards and internal investigation branch of the Qld Police in their investigations into the police shooting death of my son Jason on Tuesday 17^th April this year.  To this day I have no reason to question the integrity of the officers leading this investigation.  Yesterday I laid my son Jason Protheroe to rest knowing that the majority of the men and woman within the Qld Police Force and majority of the citizens of our state believe that my son hunted and aimed a fully loaded semi-automatic pistol at two police officers with an intent to shoot them dead and gave them no choice but to shoot or be shot as was stated by the Queensland Police Union President Ian Leavers on national television. 

I intend to state the facts of the case as they have been determined by the investigating officers.

On Tuesday 17^th April the Qld Police Union President Ian Leavers went on national television and stated that my son produced a fully loaded semi-automatic pistol and aimed it at these two police officers, hunted them down, cornered one of the officers and gave him no room for negotiation, no choice but to shoot or be shot. 

There was also an eye witness present who saw the whole tragedy unfold who has clearly stated on national television that my son was unarmed and did not have a weapon of any form. 

The weapon that was alledgedly found lying beside my son’s body was a toy replica pistol.   This is the gun that Mr Leavers claimed was a fully loaded semi-automatic pistol on the 6pm national news and continued with these allegations the following day publicly.  It has been proven by the Qld Police that this alledged weapon contained no fingerprints what so ever.

It has also been determined that my son was in possession of a water bottle he was drinking from at the time of arriving at the address, which he alledgedly dropped on the ground.  This bottle was also taken as evidence and was proven to have his fingerprints on it.

Mr Leavers also stated that my son was shot twice, once in the chest and once in the abdomen, the true fact is that 4 shots were fired by the officer, two of which hit my son one in the back and the other in the back of the left shoulder.

Based on this evidence alone, I would call for Mr Leavers to step down from his position as Qld Police Union President and the two officers directly involved in this case are suspended from duty immediately pending the final outcome of this investigation.  I question the Qld Police Commissioner and the Qld Police Minister as to why this has not already taken place.

 These facts I have stated are the truth told to me by investigating officers and I believe the Coroner’s Office have been made aware of these facts.  I truly believe in my heart that clearly the evidence suggests that my son was unarmed, gunned down and possibly murdered by a member of the Qld Police Force.

Written By Steve Protheroe.