Heartbreaking Scene as a Young Girl Is Rescued From the House With Bl00d-Stained Clothes
A police officer has been praised by top brass for putting himself in “harm’s way” to save a young child at the home of a suspected murder-suicide.
Michael Waltke, 45, and Julia Brunsdon, 23, were found dead inside a property on King St in Charleville, Queensland, after reports of a serious assault about 6pm on Wednesday.
Officers arrived to a “violent and confronting scene”, locating weapons inside the home and a young girl of “walking age” on the front steps.
Assistant Commissioner Matthew Vanderbyl said the officer put himself “back into harm’s way” to grab the child and bring her to safety.
“Police actually put themselves back into what I consider to be harm’s way to remove that child from the premises,” Vanderbyl said.
“It’s quite clear, though, that that child may well have witnessed what has been a tragic set of events.”
A neighbour who witnessed the tragic events revealed the child was covered in blood when police found her.
“She had blood literally splattered all over her shirt. It was bloodstained everywhere,” the neighbour told the Courier Mail.
The blood was not the toddler’s, as police confirmed she was taken to hospital but found to be unharmed.
The neighbour added the officer held the girl for about 30 minutes with her head facing away from the scene “as if trying to protect her”.
Investigations into the incident remain ongoing, with police trying to determine a cause and time of death.
Mayor issues plea as community reels from tragedy
The incident has sent shockwaves through the rural town of about 4000 and the broader Shire of Murweh, mayor Shaun Radnedge said.
“On behalf of the whole Murweh Shire Council communities, I extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of the two people who have lost their lives,” Radnedge said in a post to social media.
“This is a heartbreaking day for Charleville and for the wider Murweh community.
“We’re a close-knit community and an incident of this nature is felt deeply by many people.”
The mayor acknowledged the “difficult and dangerous situation” that police and emergency services responded to and vowed to support his constituents.
“While the investigation is now a matter for police and the coroner, council’s focus is on supporting our community through the days ahead,” he said.
“Please do not carry this burden on your own.
“Charleville is strong because of the people that live in our communities, and I ask all of us that we stick together and look after each other.”
SOURCEl 7 NEWS
https://7news.com.au/news/toddler-found-in-bloodstained-clothes-after-suspected-murder-suicide-in-charleville-c-22689324
