THE former Redcliffe Dolphins second-rower turned Police detective said his viral textbook tackle was pure instinct from his rugby league days.

Criminal Investigation Branch officer in charge Detective Senior Sergeant Daren Edwards was midway through a press briefing outside the Maroochydore Courthouse when he saw an angry father chasing another man, who had previously interrupted the briefing and was allegedly known to police for harassing women.

READ: Top cop's crushing tackle on heckler goes viral

The former Redcliffe Dolphins Rugby League second-rower swung into action, stopping the man in his tracks with a jarring front-on tackle.

Officers nearby swooped, taking him into custody.

Snr Sgt Edwards said the reaction to his swift action had been a little embarrassing.

"It's one of those instinct things," he said.

"You have those football playing days where you have a bit of an instinct of how to take down a man running straight at you.

"At the end of the day police are faced with these split (second) decisions every day."

The detective's colleagues at Maroochydore Police Station have given him plenty of advice on his tackling style durin the incident, which left him with a cut on his forehead, he said.

"(I had) a bit of bark off," he said, referring to the cut.

"In Queensland when you have my (bald) hairstyle you have to go to the sun specialist quite often, so I had a few burned off last week in that particular area … which enhanced it.

"But it doesn't matter, let's go back to work and make sure we're doing the right thing by the community."

Snr Sgt Edwards said the split-second decision to apprehend the runaway man was one that police were confronted with every day.

"At the end of the day the real message is we're not going to put up with women being harassed and intimidated while walking on the street.

"Fortunately we've stopped this male from continuing on his behaviour, which seems to be a course of conduct (for him)."

The Office of Home Affairs have been contacted about the offender, who The Courier-Mail understands is a Hungarian national.