A man and his mates armed with baseball bats chased a stolen ute across Brisbane before it crashed into the fence of a home at Rochedale South on Thursday night, prompting fresh warnings about the dangers of vigilante behaviour.
Police say two vehicles were seen driving dangerously on Deshon Street in Woolloongabba about 8.45pm on April 9, before continuing through several suburbs and crashing on Somerset Street about 9.30pm.
The white Holden ute had allegedly been stolen from a business in Yeronga earlier that day. The second vehicle, a black Ford utility, was not stolen.
Rochedale South Community Crime Watch moderator Damion James Douglass said the crash was one of several incidents unfolding across the area that night, stretching local resources and putting residents on edge.
“We had multiple incidents within a couple of hours and found ourselves in the thick of it,” he said.
Mr Douglass said community patrollers were already observing heightened police activity when reports began circulating about the ute and a group of people following it.
“What we understand is the ute was definitely involved in the pursuit, and the people in it fled after it crashed,” he said.
He said the situation appeared to be linked to the alleged theft of tools earlier in the week, though details remain under investigation.
Witness Danielle Mason said the chaos unfolded outside her home when the ute slammed into her front fence.
“He crashed into our fence and looked disoriented when he got out of the vehicle. He was bleeding and yelling ‘help me’ and ran off towards Drakes,” she said.
Mrs Mason said she had come outside after heard tyres screeching and loud banging, which she later found out was the stolen car being hit with baseball bats.
“I think they caused a lot more chaos and damage through their actions.
“Obviously no-one wants their car stolen, but I don’t think they should have been bashing the thief with baseball bats.”
Police later attended the scene in large numbers, with the dog squad deployed to search for the driver.
Mr Douglass said while community frustration was understandable, chasing suspects created serious risks.
“We do not pursue. It’s illegal, it causes problems and it can lead to retaliation,” he said.
“All it takes is one person to undo the work of the whole community.”
He said his group had strict protocols to avoid interference, including immediately reporting incidents to police and not engaging with offenders.
“There are people in the community who will chase, but we don’t condone it at all,” he said.
Mrs Mason said despite the frightening scenes, she remained confident in her neighbourhood.
“Rochedale South is a very safe neighbourhood and it’s very out of character for us,” she said.
Police confirmed both vehicles had been seized and investigations were ongoing. No injuries have been reported and no one is currently in custody.
Anyone with information or relevant footage has been urged to contact police.
