Top cop's crushing tackle on heckler goes viral

ONE of the Coast's top cops has relived his rugby league glory days with a crushing tackle to end the short reign of a renowned pest.

Criminal Investigation Branch officer in charge detective Senior Sergeant Daren Edwards was in the middle of a press conference outside Maroochydore Police Station, next door to the court house, when a man interrupted the interview.

Snr Sgt Edwards said the man started saying it was "police brutality and harassment".

Snr Sgt Edwards said he thanked the man, believed to be Hungarian national, for his contributions and moved him on.

The leading investigator said moments later he heard screams of "I'm going to kill you" and turned around to see the same man sprinting full-tilt towards him, as another man about 60 chased after him.

"So I dropped the shoulder and tackled him," Snr Sgt Edwards said.

The tackle has gone viral on social media this afternoon, with Sportsbet.com.au tweeting about the devastatingly effective tackle.

The betting firm declared Sen-Sgt Edwards had taken tackling crime to a "whole new level".

Meanwhile high-flying local team Sunshine Coast Falcons claimed they'd signed the veteran copper before the June 30 cut-off, in a tongue-in-cheek post praising Sen-Sgt Edwards' effort.

Plenty have already declared his defensive efforts as better than the New South Wales Blues in Game One.

Snr Sgt Edwards said it turned out the man had allegedly made a pass at a young woman who was walking past the court house, who turned out to be the daughter of the man in his 60s, after interrupting Snr Sgt Edwards' press conference, sparking the chase.

"It was just bizarre," Snr Sgt Edwards said.

He said the man was charged with public nuisance and stalking offences as a result of the incident.

Snr Sgt Edwards, a Redcliffe player many years ago, was waiting to see how his tackling technique looked on camera, after 7News Sunshine Coast television crews captured the fracas on film.

But he was confident his efforts wouldn't bring too much embarrassment.

"It was a good tackle," he said.

"Right around the knees, it dropped him."