SYDNEY: A gunman opened fire on police on Tuesday (Aug 26) at a rural Australian property in a “horrific” confrontation that killed two officers and wounded a third.
Police launched a major hunt for the man, who fled into the bush after the shooting in the town of Porepunkah in northeast Victoria, senior officers said.
“The suspect for this horrific event is still at large,” Victoria state police chief commissioner Mike Bush said.
“We know that the person is heavily armed. We know that they are dangerous,” he told a news conference.
Bush said the outburst of gunfire, which occurred “over minutes”, killed a 59-year-old detective and a 35-year-old senior constable.
“They were met by the offender, and they were murdered in cold blood,” he said.
Another detective was wounded.
“He has been shot and is currently in surgery being treated. His injuries are not life-threatening.”
Ten police officers had descended on the property in the morning to execute a search warrant when the gunfire broke out, Bush said.
“He was heavily armed, and he was able to escape into the bush,” the police chief said.
“I do understand that he was pursued, but he was able to get away on foot,” he added.
The gunman apparently fled by himself without his partner and two children, who have yet to be located.
Hours after the encounter, Bush said the bodies of the two dead police officers were still at the scene.
“Our priority is to arrest him to ensure that he’s held to account for the actions, but also very much to bring safety and security to this community,” he said.
“The public should remain inside. He is obviously a very dangerous person, and he needs to be caught. And that’s why we’ve committed every resource to do that.”
