A knife-wielding man who was shot and killed by police after a violent standoff at a train station was convicted of stealing $20,000 from a popular hotel three years earlier.
Jesse Kermode was shot by police outside of Ipswich station in Queensland on Sunday afternoon.
The 24-year-old was believed to be causing a ‘disturbance’ and lunged at police with a knife in front of horrified onlookers.
Jesse Kermode (pictured) was shot by police outside of Ipswich station in Queensland on Sunday afternoon
The 24-year-old was believed to be causing a ‘disturbance’ and lunged at police with a knife in front of horrified onlookers
The Courier Mail reported that ordeal was caught on CCTV, and saw three ‘experienced’ male officers open fire once Kermode charged towards them.
In 2015, he held up a popular hotel along with former Gold Coast Seagulls player Anthony ‘Chook’ Fowler.
Kermode lay outside the door of Goodna’s Cecil Hotel, south west of Brisbane, and pretended to be asleep.
As soon as a staff member entered the building, he jumped up and put a fake gun to the worker’s back and ordered him to unlock the door.
The hold up saw the pair take cash from the hotel’s safe and from the registers behind the bar.
As the employee had a replica gun held to his head, Kermode and Fowler stole almost $20,000.
Fowler, a former rugby league player, worked at the hotel for three years and was hoping to take $100,000 in the robbery.
Kermode (pictured) who was shot and killed by police after a violent standoff at a train station was convicted of stealing $20,000 from a popular hotel three years earlier
However, a change in the safe’s combination lead to the pair running away with less money than expected.
Despite his checkered past, the 24-year-old’s close loved ones said that he was just misunderstood.
‘Jesse was always there for his family and friends no matter what, when it involved helping a friend or family member in need or being there to listen to when no one else would,’ a loved one told The Courier-Mail.
‘He was loved by family and friends and was an amazing bloke. He’ll be dearly missed by all.’
In 2015, Kermode held up a popular hotel along with former Gold Coast Seagulls player Anthony ‘Chook’ Fowler (pictured)
The Queensland Police Union said the officers responsible for the shooting are being investigated and participated in ‘walk-throughs’ of the scene on Monday.
President of the union, Ian Leavers, said he spent time talking with the men after the incident and they were visibly shaken by the event.
The officers were wearing body-worn cameras, but are unsure if they were on and working.
Witnesses said that Kermode, who boarded a train to Ipswich before 4.15pm, was harassing commuters and his behaviour escalated once police arrived to the station.