Top cop on Sunshine Coast tackles man being chased by angry father during bizarre presser

A police press conference on the Sunshine Coast was cut short after a senior detective tackled a man who was running away in the background.

Criminal Investigation Branch officer in charge detective Senior Sergeant Daren Edwards was giving a press conference outside Maroochydore Police Station, next door to the courthouse, when his interview was interrupted by a man sprinting towards him, with another man closely chasing after him.

Edwards, who is a former rugby league player, tackled the man, who had allegedly made inappropriate comments to a teenage girl and was being chased by her angry father.

A Queensland Police spokesperson told news.com.au a 39-year-old man had been charged with unlawful stalking and committing public nuisance.

News.com.au understands the man is a Hungarian national and is known to police.

In footage captured by Seven and Nine, the father can be heard telling him to "run" and shouting "Coppers are coming!"

A police press conference on the Sunshine Coast was cut short after a senior detective tackled a man who was running away in the background. Photo / Channel 7

The man who gets tackled responds "I did nothing!", and later says "I just came out from the court … nothing happened …" as a team of officers hold him down and handcuff him.

The man starts screaming, shouting "Help me!" and "It's hurting me!" as police put him in handcuffs.

He did not appear to be in any pain as he stood up and was led away.

"I dropped the shoulder and tackled him," Edwards told The Sunshine Coast Daily.

He said the man had allegedly made a pass at the other man's 19-year-old daughter outside the courthouse.

"It was a good tackle," he said. "Right around the knees, it dropped him."