Two police officers shot at Melbourne swingers, witnesses claim
A month after a couple was shot by police at a swingers party inside a Melbourne night club, witnesses now claim a second officer also opened fire at the venue and the man who was shot was not holding a gun at the time.
In a new twist, industry insiders say two members of the Critical Incident Response Team fired a total of three shots at the Saints and Sinners ball at the Inflation nighhtclub in July – rather than just one officer shooting, as first thought, News Corp has reported.
Special operations police stormed the King Street nightclub and shot a man and a woman, dressed as the Joker and Harley Quinn from the Suicide Quad movie, after a report about the man's toy gun thought to be a weapon.
The shooting victims have since been identified as 35-year-old man Dale Ewins, who had half his bowel removed and required shoulder surgery, and local government facility co-ordinator Zita Sukys, who required surgery for leg wounds.
Mr Ewins, who was wielding the fake gun as part of his Joker costume, was shot in the back, while Ms Sukys was shot in the leg.
They have since taken legal action out against Victoria Police.
Victoria’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission is overseeing a major internal investigation into the shooting, along with Victoria Police's Professional Standards Command.
At least four new statements will reportedly be provided to the anti-corruption watchdog contradicting the version of events made by police, according to the Herald Sun.
According to fresh admissions, Mr Ewins, 35, and Ms Sukys, 37, was on a couch engaging in a sex act when police stormed the room and shot the couple.
The new accounts claim Mr Ewins was shot in the back and was not holding a gun at the time, which is at odds with police statements following the incident.
“Police called on the male, the male took the firearm from his pants and aimed it at police,” Superintendent Lisa Hardeman told media last month.
New information also reveals a strip show earlier that night featured dancers dressed as police SWAT team officers, which may have been why the couple was not surprised to see officers storming the room, witnesses say.
“When she [Ms Sukys] looked up, she didn’t flinch straight away because she may have thought it was just the dancers from earlier on in the night,” the witness told the Herald Sun.
The witness said the couple were engaged in oral sex and Mr Ewins was not holding the prop gun at the time.
Earlier this week CCTV emerged from inside Inflation nightclub showing two uniformed male officers dancing with a number of women at the swingers party before the shooting.
At no point during the 10-minute interlude did either of the armed officers attempt to rebuff the advances of multiple women.
