Update

1^st February 2014

On 17^th April 2012 my son Jason Paul Protheroe was shot dead by way of 2 bullets to the back of his body by a Queensland Police Officer.  At the time it was reported on national television by Queensland Police union boss Mr Ian Leavers that my son had hunted these two police officers down with a fully loaded semi-automatic weapon with the intentions of shooting them, he described it as a case of shoot or be shot.  Mr Leavers stated my son had been fatally shot in the chest and lower abdomen.  The shooting officer Detective Senior Constable Thomas Hess at the time during his initial interview that evening stated that my son Jason had chased him across the yard into a carport and was standing face to face in a stationary position approximately 2 metres apart with arms out stretched aiming this alleged weapon at him and was still facing him when he went down.  He fired 4 shots, 4 shells were found and 2 bullets were found in Jason’s body and the other 2 bullets were never recovered. 

Two days later as the case unfolded I attended the John Tonge Centre (morgue) where an autopsy had been carried out on Jason.  I was then told that the 2 bullets that had entered my son’s body were to the back of his body.  One to the left hand back of his shoulder and the other two inches from the lower spine on the right hand side.  This was an absolute and direct contradiction as to the Official version given.  There were two other people who witnessed this event one was the partner of the Police Officer Troy Weston who’s official version on the day of the shooting was he thought he saw something dark in Jason’s hand but he could not say it was a weapon or a gun.  After Jason fell to the ground Thomas Hess asked his partner Troy Weston to cover him which he did.  Thomas Hess stated that he then bent down and took the alleged weapon from Jason’s hand and threw it on the ground behind him, Troy Weston did not see a gun in Jason’s hand nor did he see Thomas Hess remove a gun from Jason’s hand even though he was standing there covering him.  There were no fingerprints at all found on the alleged weapon.  He said in court that he first saw the alleged weapon on the grass when he came back in.  The third person who was present was an independent civilian witness who lived at the house stated uncategorically that Jason was unarmed when Thomas Hess fired the shots at him.

Also when visiting the Morgue I became aware of the alleged fully loaded semi-automatic pistol found on the ground near my son where Thomas Hess allegedly threw it, was in fact a toy replica pistol.  In the pathologists original autopsy report released on 7^th August 2012 it was noted that it would be difficult if not impossible to interpret and reconstruct how these shots were sustained in the circumstances as described in the Police Form 1.  This is clearly not an open and shut case as they would have had me and the people of Australia believe on the day of the shooting. The findings of the Coroner went against my son clearly ignoring all the evidence as well the recommendations of his own leading counsellor Peter Johns in making his decision.  Before my son’s death an election was held on 24h March 2012 and a new Government was elected led by Queensland’s new Premier Campbell Newman.  I have sent letters to the Premier, Attorney General Jarrod Bleijie, Ethical Standards Command Qld Police Force, Queensland Police Commissioner, Queensland Police Minister and Criminal Misconduct Committee.  I have received little in the form of replies, in fact they have not assisted in any way to help me find the truth.  Basically they have ignored my requests hoping that this family would just give up and go away. “NEWSFLASH” it’s not going to happen.  I have been threatened with contempt of court by the Attorney General in a letter dated 27^th November 2013 if I did not remove certain facts and opinions on my blog site.  I have not nor will I ever remove these comments. 

I believe that the foot soldiers of the Queensland Police Force are honourable and decent young people who joined the force to make Queensland a better place.  However, they take their orders from the hierarchy of the Queensland Police gang (service).  The problem lies with the hierarchy of the Queensland Police gang (Service), the mentality of the brotherhood is taught to these young people which comes directly from the Police hierarchy.  Premier Campbell Newman, Police Minister Jack Dempsey, Police Minister Ian Stewart, Police Union Boss Ian Leavers, the Attorney General Jarrod Bleijie and the non-union members of the Police Force and their predecessors.  I have said in the past that my resolve will not fail and I reiterate that I or my family will not rest until Detective Senior Constable Thomas Hess faces a jury of independent people for the death of my son Jason. 

I have also said that a police badge and a gun is not a licence to kill.  The fact remains that if a lay person was in the same situation they would face a jury and have to prove innocence or self-defence and the same law should apply to police officers.  On 17^th April this year will mark the second anniversary of my son’s death.  Two years since he was taken away from us and still we seek the truth.  Jason may not be here to tell us the truth, we were not there to see the truth, but one thing that is absolutely clear is that Detective Senior Constable Thomas Hess admitted he killed my son by way of two bullet wounds to the back of his body.  In my mind all the evidence suggests that Thomas Hess illegally killed our son and the investigation was absolutely and totally incompetent be it deliberate, or be it Police and Government hierarchy brotherhood mentality.  My family and I will never give up on the truth.

 

Stephen Protheroe