A TOTAL of six charges have been laid against a couple who twice evaded police attempts to stop them in western Queensland and who were finally arrested after the male driver attempted to ram a police vehicle and was shot in the arm by police.
Acting inspector Graham Seabrook, stationed at Longreach, said the incident began at around 2pm last Friday when police officers at Barcaldine attempted to stop a vehicle, which evaded them.
An hour later officers at Longreach also failed to stop the vehicle, which headed north west towards Winton.
Police from Winton patrolling the Landsborough Highway as a result of the previous incidents attempted to intercept the vehicle when it was spotted 130km north of Longreach sometime after 6pm.
Initial enquiries suggest the vehicle attempted to crash into the police car.
Mr Seabrook said officers had exited their vehicle and feared for their lives, which was when a police firearm was discharged.
The male driver, aged 41, was taken to the Longreach hospital where he was operated on and a bullet was removed.
He and his female passenger, aged 33, remain in custody in Longreach after being arrested on corrective service warrants for breaches of parole.
Police proceedings began on Monday and six charges have been laid.
Both the male and female have been charged with a stealing offence, while the male has been charged with two counts of evading police and two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
Neither person is local to the region.
The Ethical Standards Command will investigate the incident.