Army veteran urged police to 'put him to sleep' before shooting, inquest told

# Veteran urged police to 'put him to sleep' before shooting death, inquest told The QLD deputy coroner is investigating the death of army veteran Steven Angus, who was shot by police in April 2023. (Supplied: Linda Angus) ## In short: The inquest has started into the death of veteran Steven Angus, who was shot dead by police in Townsville in April 2023. The coroner heard the veteran had been discharged from Townsville Hospital the day before. ## What's next? The inquest is continuing. A 52-year-old army veteran shot dead by police urged officers to "put him to sleep" just moments before he charged at them holding two large knives, an inquest has been told. Steven Angus was shot and killed in his Townsville backyard on April 21, 2023. Police officers shot Steven Angus dead outside his home in Kirwan on April 21, 2023 (ABC North Queensland: Rachael Merritt) The deputy coroner is investigating the mental health care given to Mr Angus by Townsville University Hospital in the lead-up to his death, and well as the actions of officers that afternoon. Mr Angus had been released from Townsville University hospital the day before his death, after being taken there by police following a previous hours-long siege with officers in which he threatened self harm. ## 'Don't make us do this' Confronting footage of the shooting, taken from officers' body-worn cameras, was played on the first day of the inquest at the Coroners Court in Townsville. Three officers, and Mr Angus' ex-wife, had gone to make a welfare check and found the former army mechanic in his kitchen, holding knives. "I'm going to charge out there ... and you're going to have to f---king shoot me, I want you to put me to sleep," Mr Angus could be heard heard telling Senior Constable Sarah Smith. "I don't want to hurt anybody, I just want to hurt myself," he said. During the armed confrontation, Senior Constable Smith pleaded: "Please don't do that to us, we don't want to do that to you," she said. "That is something that I will remember for the rest of my life." Mr Angus then charged at two of the officers, before three shots were fired. ## 'He was going to hurt us' Senior Constable Smith, was excused from giving evidence, on medical grounds. She has been unable to work since attending another police-involved shooting in Townsville, in January. Steven Angus was much-loved by his family, who want answers about his death. (Supplied: Linda Angus) In her video interview with police ethical standards investigator Senior Sergeant Darryl Cox she said Mr Angus charged out of the house holding knives. She was scared for the her life, as well as the lives of her her colleagues Acting Sergeant Carlo Louwrens, and Constable Joel Brown, when she fired at Mr Angus. "He was going to hurt us, to make us hurt him," she said. "I couldn't have used a taser, because I had a fear of death or grievous bodily harm, I wasn't sure a taser would be effective at the speed he was moving. "I needed to use lethal force,." ## Role of hospital, veterans affairs to be investigated Julie Pietzner-Hagan, counsel assisting the coroner, said Mr Angus was receiving a disability payment and incapacity payments at the time of his death. She said he had been a "son, a brother, an uncle, father, and a former husband". Linda Angus said her brother Steven loved to cook and share music. (Supplied: Linda Angus) She said that, after joining the army in 2011, he was medically discharged in 2017 due to a back injury, depression and alcohol dependence. Ms Pietzner-Hagan noted Mr Angus had been held in the Townsville University Hospital emergency department after threatening to harm himself, the day before his death. He had been assessed as being suitable for follow-up care in the community and discharged, with hospital staff trying and failing to reach him on the phone. A later internal investigation by the hospital, did not find any missed opportunities to change the outcome, she said. The inquest is set to continue before deputy coroner Stephanie Gallagher on Wednesday.