Police reveal the reason a SWAT officer armed with a machine gun was pictured wearing a high-visibility vest at a six-hour siege

  • An officer wearing a high-visibility vest has caused confusion about police attire
  • The officer was seen wearing tradesman attire while carrying an assault rifle
  • He was in the Special Emergency Response Team reacting to Monday's siege

By Alex Chapman For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 05:43 EST, 3 December 2018 | Updated: 06:53 EST, 3 December 2018

A picture of a police officer wearing a high visibility vest and cargo shorts while armed with a machine gun at a siege on Monday has caused a stir online. 

The officer was part of the Special Emergency Response Team, which arrested a pair of gunmen who barricaded themselves inside a central Brisbane apartment unit for six hours after firing at officers.

A photo of the officer was uploaded to Reddit just hours after the Auchenflower area was evacuated, with punters questioning why he was in tradesman attire.  

A specially trained police officer wearing tradesman clothing (pictured) has a simple explanation for his attire, a Queensland Police spokesman has told Daily Mail Australia

A specially trained police officer wearing tradesman clothing (pictured) has a simple explanation for his attire, a Queensland Police spokesman has told Daily Mail Australia

One suggested he was undercover, while another said he was deliberately incognito ahead of the prepared raid of the apartment building on Monday morning.

Despite many theories about the police officer's attire, the explanation for his appearance was simple, police said. 

'That would just be what he was wearing when he got the call,' a spokesman said.

SERT are generally highly trained officers who remain on call and have a lot of freedom about what they choose to wear. In this instance, the officer, who was the only one guarding a bike path, was wearing tradesman attire.

Accompanying the high-visibility vest and cargo shorts was a camouflage helmet and assault rifle, leading one person to say that he couldn't 'decide if he wants to be seen or not'.

Other SERT officers tasked with diffusing the siege were also seen wearing shorts (pictured)

Other SERT officers tasked with diffusing the siege were also seen wearing shorts (pictured)

The Special Emergency Response Team was tasked with negotiating with a pair of men whose apartment unit was stormed. 

The unit was reportedly rented out by the duo, aged 33 and 29, on an overnight basis. 

One of the men shot at police who attended to their room, before staking out in the building for six hours.

They eventually surrendered peacefully, with no injuries reported and the men taken into custody. 

They have yet to be charged.  

Two men were taken into custody after a six-hour holdout caused chaos through Brisbane

Two men were taken into custody after a six-hour holdout caused chaos through Brisbane

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Police reveal the reason officer armed with a machine gun was pictured in hi-vis at Brisbane siege

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