Sydney, Australia
Reuters
–
In southern Australia, police said they shot and killed two officers on Tuesday as they tried to serve warrants on country property in rural Victoria.
Police said the suspect fired a team of 10 officers from Polepanca, about 300 kilometers (186 miles) northeast of Melbourne, at 10:30am local time (8:30pm Monday).
At a press conference Tuesday evening, Victoria Police Chief Mike Bush confirmed the 59-year-old detective, where a 35-year-old senior constable was fatally shot deadly and another detective was seriously injured and treated at the hospital.
He told reporters that the suspect was very armed and dangerous, urging the community to stay indoors as “hundreds of police resources” conducted ground and air searches in the area.
“The suspects in this horrifying event are still common,” Bush told reporters. “We deployed all the expert resources to this area to find him.”
“Our priority is to arrest him to make sure he is restrained to explain his actions, but it’s also very important to bring safety and security to this community.”
Local media outlet The Age said officers are offering warrants for historic sexual abuse allegations when they are ambushed by gunmen.
Bush said the suspect escaped the property on foot alone and it is unclear where his wife and two children are.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation also reported that police believe the shooters are “sovereign citizens.” Sovereign citizens believe the government is illegal.
The town of Polepanca is home to 1,000 residents and is located at a hub in Australia’s alpine range.
“Today has been a day of deep sadness and shock for our community,” Mayor Sarah Nicholas said in a statement.
Nicholas added that local council facilities across the town, including libraries, information centres and depots, will remain closed until further notice.
Polepanca Elementary School Principal Jill Gillees told ABC Radio Melbourne that the school was forced to lock down from 11:30am local time (9:30pm Monday). The ABC has since reported that the lockdown has been lifted.
The local airfields were also closed due to ongoing emergency response.
Wayne Gutt, chief executive of the Police Association’s Victoria Association, said executives across the country were shocked by the incident, a rare event in Australia.
“There’s a shocking, eerie feeling of fear, and there’s a feeling of not knowing what to do,” he said. “Today, our members paid the ultimate price to protect our community.”
