00:00 In 2018, Riley O'Brien Faulkner was 16, out on bail and driving a stolen car when he ploughed
00:09 into Constable Peter Macaulay at speed.
00:13 The car swerved to miss road spikes, instead striking the officer, dragging him several
00:19 metres.
00:20 Macaulay was knocked unconscious and suffered fractures to his spine, jaw, cheek, right
00:26 arm and leg, requiring multiple surgeries.
00:29 Extensive facial trauma and trauma to my leg and arm and spine, so that's affected me physically
00:37 but in the mental space as well I've got to learn how to cope with new ways of doing things
00:43 and the pain.
00:44 O'Brien Faulkner, now 21, was arrested in Logan last night and taken into custody at
00:51 the Beanlea Watch House on a return to prison warrant.
00:55 He was due to front court here on several charges, including possessing dangerous drugs.
01:01 But around 7 last night, police say he suffered a medical episode and 40 minutes later he
01:07 was pronounced dead from a suspected drug overdose.
01:12 Police Union President Ian Leavers has released a statement saying, "The sad reality is that
01:17 if this youth criminal had received a proper prison sentence from the judiciary rather
01:22 than a slap on the wrist, he would still be alive today behind bars receiving the rehabilitation
01:29 he desperately needed."
01:31 Constable Macaulay says he had high hopes this youth criminal would change and genuinely
01:37 turn his life around and become a better person.
01:40 He says his life has changed forever, now all this offender has left behind is sorrow
01:47 and sadness.
01:48 The Queensland Police Ethical Standards Command is investigating the death on behalf of the
01:53 state coroner.
01:54 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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