ONE of the police officers wounded after being shot in Glen Innes has been released from hospital.
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Sergeant Mark Johnston was discharged from the Gold Coast University hospital on Monday after he suffered shrapnel wounds to his face in Friday night’s shooting.
His colleague, Leading Senior Constable Helen McMurtrie, remains in a serious but stable condition in the same hospital.
On Monday, her father Barry McMurtrie detailed “one of the worst moments of my life” when he received the news his daughter had been shot.
His said his daughter was doing well, and “off the dangerous list”.
“There’s seven fragments all inside there and from what they can see, nothing essential was hit, it’s a miracle,” he told Nine.
She still has two bullet fragments lodged near her spine, her father said, and will have to undergo more surgery.
Police minister Troy Grant said it was amazing that despite fragments of the bullet lodging in Senior Constable McMurtrie's neck, they missed her carotid arteries.
He also praised Probationary Constable Samantha Petty who managed to drag her wounded colleagues to safety behind the police paddywagon.
Colleagues and family have rallied behind her and she is being supported in Glen Innes, after only starting in the job four weeks ago.
"(The officers) are obviously shocked. They're obviously doing it tough from certain points of view, but they're also doing remarkably well and are surrounded by family," Mr Grant told 2GB on Monday morning.
The police had been called to the Church Street home after a domestic assault. Eric Newman fired a shot at police before turning the gun on himself. He died at the scene.
On Monday, wife Lesley Newman was still at a loss to explain the events of Friday night but said she was thankful for the officers who came to her rescue.
Specialist police remain in Glen Innes trying to piece together the moments before Mr Newman opened fire at the officers.
A critical incident investigation into the shooting is being led by Oxley detectives from Tamworth, with the homicide squad also assisting, and that probe will be overseen by the force’s professional standards command.
On Monday, a fundraising appeal by NSW Police Legacy for the injured officers had topped more than $20,000 in donations to help with their recovery.
Australian Associated Press