An inquest has revealed that prior to the shooting of a woman in South Melbourne, police officers warned her to “go back” ten times. The incident involved Madeline Margaret Henry, 33, who was shot dead on May 24 while allegedly driving her SUV towards a senior constable attempting to arrest a man wielding a machete.
The lead-up to the shooting unfolded when a 39-year-old man brandishing a machete was spotted at Park Towers. Henry, who was leaving the public housing complex, was seen following the suspect as he fled on a scooter. Police quickly pursued the suspect, and a confrontational scene ensued when the officers located him and attempted to detain him.
CCTV footage showed Henry’s Ford Territory following the police chase. During the arrest, as a first constable grappled with the suspect, a senior constable approached. At that moment, Henry’s SUV stopped nearby, and a male passenger, described as a friend of the suspect, exited the vehicle, claiming ownership of the scooter.
The senior constable then warned Henry not to drive closer, drawing his firearm as she continued to approach. Despite clear instructions to retreat, Henry’s SUV mounted the footpath and cornered the constable, pinning his leg against a fence. In response, the officer, after being unable to disengage, fired four shots through the windscreen of the vehicle.
The timeline indicated a mere five seconds passed from the constable’s final warning to the discharge of his weapon. Tragically, Henry succumbed to her injuries at the scene, while the severely injured senior constable was hospitalised, and her passenger was also wounded in the shooting.
The inquest, which aims to investigate the circumstances leading to Henry’s actions and the police response, will not determine guilt or innocence but rather focus on identifying factors that precipitated the incident. Coroner John Cain has expressed expectations to receive a brief of evidence by September 22, with proceedings likely resuming in October.
Henry’s mother witnessed the hearing remotely, and legal representatives from Victoria Police offered condolences, assuring commitment to assist in the inquest. Additionally, there is an ongoing investigation by homicide detectives, a procedural protocol following fatal police confrontations.