A police officer who was shot and killed by the man who was the inspiration for Crocodile Dundee has been remembered 20 years after his death.
Sergeant Glen Huitson and Constable Jamie O’Brien were called to the Stuart Highway to conduct a road block on August 3, 1999, following reports of an armed gunman who had fired multiple gunshots at a home.
Rodney Ansell, the shooter, was the real-life inspiration for Paul Hogan’s Crocodile Dundee, had gone into a drug-induced downward spiral.
Sergeant Glen Huitson (pictured) and Constable Jamie O’Brien were called to the Stuart Highway to conduct a road block on August 3, 1999, following reports of an armed gunman who had fired multiple gunshots at a home
On the night of August 2 Ansell fired six shots into a caravan occupied by a couple at Livingstone, about 50 kilometres south of Darwin.
A neighbour drove over to investigate and Ansell shot out his windscreen.
Another neighbour ran at the gunman armed with a baseball bat and Ansell shot off his index finger.
During this strange series of shootings Ansell was raving that Freemasons had kidnapped his sons and were now stalking him.
He ran into scrubland with his rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun belonging to the man whose windscreen he had blasted.
Police searched for Ansell for 12 hours before he arrived at the police road block and shot Sergeant Huitson in the side of the chest.
Paul McCue, head of the NT Police Association, told the ABC: ‘We must not forget what happened that day out here; we lost one of our own.
‘No one, most of all his family, was to know Glen would not come home on August 3, 1999, but he didn’t, and he was gone.
Rodney Ansell (pictured), the shooter, was the real-life inspiration for Paul Hogan’s Crocodile Dundee, had gone into a drug-induced downward spiral
On the night of August 2 Ansell fired six shots into a caravan occupied by a couple at Livingstone, about 50 kilometres south of Darwin
‘The bloke who brought people together — no matter what your background, race, religion, or beliefs — was taken far too soon as he went to work that day, protecting the NT community.’
Mr McCue said all police go to work every day and don’t know what is in front of them.
Ansell had snuck up on the police road block and shot Sergeant Huitson in the side of the chest, and he was immediately rushed to hospital.
Ansell had snuck up on the police road block and shot Sergeant Huitson in the side of the chest, and he was immediately rushed to hospital
Jonathan Anthonysz, an on-looker, was also shot in the lower back and survived – however he was told he would probably never be able to walk properly again.
Constable O’Brien, now Commander O’Brien, said the moments after his fellow officer was shot were crucial.
‘Pretty much from there the next four or so minutes became a survival situation with quite a bit to deal with _ a severely injured civilian in the open laying on the highway, there was a police officer who was incapacitated and another civilian in a highly distressed situation and a committed and well training person who was obviously committed to his cause of firing shots at us,’ he told the NT News.
Jonathan Anthonysz, an on-looker, was also shot in the lower back and survived – however he was told he would probably never be able to walk properly again
Commander O’Brien, who was 26 at the time, said there was concern due to civilian vehicles driving towards the shootout and there wasn’t any possibility to retreat with Sergeant Huitson and Mr Anthonysz injured.
Commander O’Brien said his only hope was to engage in a shoot out, and he lost count of how much he fired off.
‘I was starting to think we would run out of ammunition before help could arrive,’ he said.
During the gun battle members of the Territory Response Group arrived at the roadblock in two vehicles and Ansell readied himself to shoot at them.
In doing so he exposed his position and O’Brien brought him down him with a blast from the shotgun.
Constable O’Brien (pictured), now Commander O’Brien, said the moments after his fellow officer was shot were crucial
Commander O’Brien said he often thinks about his fallen colleague who taught him a lot
A post-mortem examination found Ansell died of ‘haemorrhage from multiple gunshot wounds involving various parts of the body’ including his heart.
Commander O’Brien said he often thinks about his fallen colleague who taught him a lot.
He called it the worst moment of his career.
Sergeant Huitson had been working as a police officer for 12 years and survived boiling water poured on him and disarming a drunk person threatening another with a knife.
He also got a valour award for a disarming rifle-wielding man threatening bus passengers in Litchfield National Park.
He was survived by his wife and two children following the shooting.
Sergeant Huitson was the last officer to have died on duty in the Northern Territory.
Sergeant Huitson was the last officer to have died on duty in the Northern Territory