Family launches civil claim over young dad’s arrest death

2 months ago 17

The family of a 30-year-old man, who died after a violent arrest in 2023, has launched a civil claim over the conduct of a specialist police team that recently patrolled the MCG during the Boxing Day Test.

Shaye Woodhouse filed a writ on December 12 over the death of her younger brother Steven, who was repeatedly shot with bean-bag rounds, Tasered and arrested by members of the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) on November 11, 2023.

Steven Woodhouse, 30, with his sister Shaye Woodhouse.

The father of three died outside his Reservoir home as a result of “catastrophic injuries” that he sustained during the arrest, according documents in the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Woodhouse said Victoria Police has not provided any explanation for Steven’s death, which was captured by body-worn cameras and has been the subject of an ongoing investigation by the homicide squad for more than two-years.

Steven Woodhouse’s death has been the subject of a two-year homicide squad probe.

“I am still asking for accountability for Steven’s death. He was shot and killed by police in his own home. He was unarmed, standing at his front door, and had called for an ambulance seeking medical care,” Woodhouse said.

“A firearm may only be discharged if there is an imminent threat of serious harm or death to an officer or a member of the public. At the time he was shot, Steven was running back into his home. He posed no such threat.”

The writ filed by Woodhouse against the state government alleges Victoria Police breached its duty of care to her and Steven, while also “failing to properly supervise, control or train their employees, officers and/or agents”.

Several CIRT officers, who are not named in the writ, are also accused of committing “batteries and assaults against Steven causing him to sustain catastrophic injuries”.

Woodhouse told The Age that officers involved in the violent arrest should have used other measures to safely resolve the situation.

“Police had access to multiple non-lethal resources, including shields, pepper spray, and Tasers — Tasers were also used. The level of force applied was more than any one person could endure,” she said.

“After this, Steven was left without proper care. No duty of care was upheld. He was dragged from his home and left lifeless on the driveway. There should have been another way. He should still be here today.”

Robinson Gill principal solicitor Jeremy King, who is representing Shaye Woodhouse, declined to comment.

CIRT is a specialised, heavily armed team within Victoria Police that responds to potentially high-risk incidents that involve dangerous or armed offenders and considered beyond the capabilities of regular police.

At the time of Woodhouse’s death, Victoria Police said officers had responded to reports of a man threatening a woman and damaging property, and that he was “erratic and aggressive” when confronted.

They said in a statement on Monday that the homicide squad investigation into Woodhouse’s death was ongoing.

“Investigations of this nature are often complex and Victoria Police is committed to ensuring they are investigated thoroughly,” they said in a statement.

“We acknowledge the impact incidents such as this have on all parties involved and endeavour to prioritise them accordingly, however there will be circumstances where investigations take more time for different reasons.

“Detectives are committed to ensuring families and relevant parties are updated with appropriate information during the course of these investigations and oversights.”

A year before Woodhouse’s death, Victoria’s integrity watchdog had recommended an overhaul of the CIRT unit and found it had conducted several high-risk operations without proper planning, authorisation and training, which had resulted in serious injuries and alleged human rights abuses.

A report by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission found the CIRT was rife with “misconduct risks and issues” and plagued by a “hypermasculine culture”.

IBAC found that CIRT responded to volatile situations without conducting risk assessments, while there were also failures by the unit to properly document its use of force or activate body-worn cameras, impeding reviews of its actions.

Chief Commissioner Mike Bush announced on December 22 that CIRT officers would patrol the MCG concourse and approaches to the ground during the Boxing Day Test, following the mass shooting on Bondi Beach on December 14.

Heavily armed CIRT police on patrol outside the MCG on Boxing Day.

“We know it’s unusual to see police with these weapons outside the MCG, but I want to assure everyone this is about greater safety and providing reassurance to the community,” Bush said last week.

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