Wielding sword, high on ice, man begged police to shoot him – so they did
A man armed with a samurai sword begged officers to kill him before he was shot dead southwest of Brisbane, a Queensland coroner has been told.
Image: QPS
Duy Linh Ho, 41, was high on ice when he barricaded himself in the bathroom of his family home at Doolandella in July 2019.
A pre-inquest conference in Brisbane Coroners Court was told Ho was depressed and struggled with opiate dependency.
The father of four had also sought help for mental illness.
Hours before the shooting, a distressed Mr Ho locked himself in the bathroom screaming that he “wanted to die”.
When he finally opened the door, partner Hong Luu called paramedics, telling them Ho was violent and had tried to take his life by slashing his arm.
Police were also called when Ho refused medical treatment and was “agitated and verbally aggressive”.
“Mr Ho made a number of threats to commit suicide stating that he wanted to die,” counsel assisting Rhiannon Helsen told the court.
After a standoff with authorities, sister-in-law, partner and children safely fled the home before police moved in.
Ho was armed with a samurai sword and a broken mirror as officers entered the home.
“Almost immediately, sounds of banging and breaking glass could be heard as Mr Ho, still armed with a sword and a mirror, rushed down the stairs,” Ms Helsen said.
Police drew their weapons, ordering Ho to drop the sword.
“He continued to approach the officer who subsequently discharged his firearm three times, with two of the bullets hitting Mr Ho.”
Despite the efforts of paramedics, Ho died at the scene.
Coroner Terry Ryan will examine the emergency response to determine if officers acted in accordance with policy guidelines.
The coroner will also explore if sufficient training is given to police.
A three-day hearing has been set down for July.
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