Australian police did not act fast enough to deadly siege - coroner

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Australian police did not act fast enough to deadly siege - coroner

By Colin Packham

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian police failed to respond quickly enough to the threat posed by a gunman responsible for a 16-hour siege at a Sydney cafe in 2014 in which three people including the hostage-taker were killed, a coroner said in a report on Wednesday.

 

While attributing blame for the deaths of Lindt Chocolate Cafe manager Tori Johnson and lawyer Katrina Dawson to gunman Man Haron Monis, New South Wales Coroner Michael Barnes said police should have acted promptly after Monis fired a warning shot.

Monis killed Johnson shortly after that.

 

Dawson was killed by fragments of a bullet fired by police after they stormed the cafe in the city's central business district 10 minutes after the gunman fired the warning shot.

 

Monis was killed by police fire.

 

"The 10 minutes that lapsed without decisive action by police was too long," Barnes said in a finding handed down after two years of testimony.

 

A spokesman for New South Wales police declined to make immediate comment but said police would hold a new conference later in the day.

 

The siege, which began on Dec. 15, 2014, was Australia's most deadly incident inspired by Islamic State militants.

 

Questions have been raised every since about the police strategy of "contain and negotiate" that saw the siege last for more than 16 hours.

 

While concluding the strategy was appropriate at the beginning, Barnes said the police had an incomplete picture of the threat posed by Manos and they placed too much emphasis on the advice of an psychologist, who was not an expert in acts of terror, and the incorrect belief that negotiations were progressing.

 

Barnes recommended authorities reconsider their response to such incidents.

 

"The outcome of the Lindt cafe siege suggests that contain and negotiate strategy needs to be more rigorously assessed in the context of terrorist incidents," Barnes said.

 

Australia, a staunch ally of the United States and its escalating action against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, has been on high alert for attacks by home-grown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East or their supporters.

 

(Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Robert Birsel)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-05-24

[Prbkk]

The Police Commissioner has now conceded that they took too long to enter the cafe and had been too reiliant on the advice of the psychiatrist on the negotiating team.

The psychiatrist conceded in evidence that he was unfamiliar with IS methods in general and unaware of "lone wolf" attacks. IMHO, he should not have been working on the team, given knowledge less up-to-date than 80% of the general population at the time.

They got this badly wrong and people died as a consequence.

[DoctorG]

Society and governments can share the blame for instances like this. Police are now reluctant to use deadly force as a first strike because the often get hauled through the system which demands that they prove that no other course was open to them.

A similar situation now exists where police do not pursue speeding/stolen cars once a high speed is reached. Criminals know this.

 

[rosst]

3 hours ago, Prbkk said:

The Police Commissioner has now conceded that they took too long to enter the cafe and had been too reiliant on the advice of the psychiatrist on the negotiating team.

The psychiatrist conceded in evidence that he was unfamiliar with IS methods in general and unaware of "lone wolf" attacks. IMHO, he should not have been working on the team, given knowledge less up-to-date than 80% of the general population at the time.

They got this badly wrong and people died as a consequence.

Yes, 20/20 hindsight and hopefully some good will come from this process. A great deal of sympathy for all persons concerned and let us not heap blame and condemnation on the personnel concerned,  they are already suffering. 

It is good to see the transparency and admissions in the cold light of day. 

Thanks to the coroner and his integrity. 

[phantomfiddler]

In my opinion anyone who pulls a stunt like that should be taken out at the very first available opportunity.

[GreasyFingers]

And what would a coroner know about a terrorist (muslim) attack and how to respond?

[BEVUP]

1 hour ago, GreasyFingers said:

And what would a coroner know about a terrorist (muslim) attack and how to respond?

As quoted by a international professional that was once employed in Auss as the police commissioner 

" I was to busy filling in the 50 - 100 memos to notify every department of our doings I didn't have the time to full fill my job " ( I guess that may have included the sychos as well .

& then every one concerned would have at least needed 5hrs to fill in the paper work (step by step) on how they would go about completing the mission without getting injured

[tandor]

6 hours ago, DoctorG said:

Society and governments can share the blame for instances like this. Police are now reluctant to use deadly force as a first strike because the often get hauled through the system which demands that they prove that no other course was open to them.

A similar situation now exists where police do not pursue speeding/stolen cars once a high speed is reached. Criminals know this.

 

..It has been a standard instruction in all states for many, many years that police can only 'follow' a vehicle within the speed limit, once a registration number has been obtained and a possible description of the driver, then proceed by summons..onus on the owner to declare who the driver was..scientific branch can do the rest if the vehicle is abandoned ie swabs of interior and steering wheel for DNA.

Of course it's strange how some vehicle's radios suddenly go on the blink whilst 'following' these offenders!

[tandor]

9 hours ago, Prbkk said:

The Police Commissioner has now conceded that they took too long to enter the cafe and had been too reiliant on the advice of the psychiatrist on the negotiating team.

The psychiatrist conceded in evidence that he was unfamiliar with IS methods in general and unaware of "lone wolf" attacks. IMHO, he should not have been working on the team, given knowledge less up-to-date than 80% of the general population at the time.

They got this badly wrong and people died as a consequence.

..psychologist.

[ksamuiguy]

If you follow the "rules of engagement" the bad guy will always win. WE are in a war and people die in a war, some times the good die also.

No time to second guess, these SOP units are trained to react, and well trained, so let them do their jobs. Collateral damage will most certainly occur. Mostly stupid "lookers" putting them selves "I Harms Way".

 

WE are in a War, we have the means to "make them think twice" (the bad guys)

but not if our protectors have to worry about covering their own asses.

Been there done that. Let the experts do their jobs and fade into obscurity.

Thailand has one of the Best trained SOG's in Asia, they are really good, so good you never hear about what they do! 

[macksview]

as always, only one side has too play by the 'rules' and unfortunately it is the good guys.

 

[Prbkk]

12 hours ago, tandor said:

..psychologist.

No, a psychiatrist, but it makes little difference. Whatever his background he gave poor advice and seriously compromised the head of the tactical group in effecting the best outcome. 

The head tactical guy wanted to go early but was overruled by his senior officer who was taking advice from the psych.

It was a very difficult operation . The best outcome would have been to take out the terrorist at the first opportunity....but it's very easy in hindsight.

[YetAnother]

wonder why this coroner said anything; doubt that would happen here

[Headphone Jack]

The Police response was pathetic and disorganised. The dedicated vehicle with advanced comms had been out of action for two years after an accident. They set up an HQ in a nearby Leagues Club with very poor landline access and recording equipment that broke down. They either missed calls from hostages or failed to record calls. They did not consider bringing in specialised army units who are trained to deal with hostage situations.

This is our seige and its the only one we got so we are hanging on to it. In fact during the cafe seige four other major incidents took place and were being handled by the same incompetant unit.

If one reads the evidence of the incident one would see that the hostages were very brave and pro active in attempting to tackle the perp and in assisting some to escape.

But these were mostly young and terrified staff and office workers, if the perp had attacked a cafe full of building workers he would have been taken down very quickly. Of course a military sniper should have been allowed to shoot him as they judged his claim to have a bomb in his backpack as unlikely.

[simple1]

2 hours ago, ksamuiguy said:

If you follow the "rules of engagement" the bad guy will always win. WE are in a war and people die in a war, some times the good die also.

No time to second guess, these SOP units are trained to react, and well trained, so let them do their jobs. Collateral damage will most certainly occur. Mostly stupid "lookers" putting them selves "I Harms Way".

 

WE are in a War, we have the means to "make them think twice" (the bad guys)

but not if our protectors have to worry about covering their own asses.

Been there done that. Let the experts do their jobs and fade into obscurity.

Thailand has one of the Best trained SOG's in Asia, they are really good, so good you never hear about what they do! 

In fact the snipers on scene assessed the glass windows of the cafe were too thick for an accurate kill shot. Complicating the decision making process the snipers were unsure of the law that they could legally take the first kill shot; the later issue has now been addressed.