Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (Aus.) to arrest.

1846

Bell’s Life in Sydney 11 Apr. 3/2: Ryan has often, when he has done some desperate blt of what he calls sharpshooting or ‘nicking ’em’ and what other people call downright rascality, said he was only carrying out the law.

2. (US) to defraud, to cheat out of one’s money [backform. f. sharpshooter n.].

1953		L. Uris Battle Cry (1964) 149: He’s going into dago with that load [...] he’ll get sharp-shooted for sure.
1966		J. Holledge Great Aust. Gamble 90: Trautwein also liked to ‘sharp-shoot’, and the showman tactics of the Coogee Bunyip made him an easy victim.