SYDNEY: A gunman opened fire on police Tuesday (Aug 26) at a rural eastern Australian property in a confrontation that left two officers dead and a third gravely wounded.
Police deployed “all specialist resources” to hunt for the man, who fled after the shooting in the town of Porepunkah, northeast Victoria, senior officers said.
“I can confirm tragically that two of our fine police officers today lost their lives in the line of duty,” Victoria’s police chief commissioner Mike Bush said in a video statement.
Ten police officers had descended on the property in the morning to execute a search warrant, he said.
“They were fired upon. The two deceased officers are still at the scene. A third officer was seriously injured and is currently in surgery in hospital,” Bush said.
“We have deployed all specialist resources into the area to arrest the person responsible,” he added.
“We will do everything to bring this person into custody.”
Bush urged residents to stay inside at home.
Police said the wounded officer had been shot in the lower body. No other police officers were reported hurt.
“The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are still being determined and it remains an active and ongoing situation,” police said in a separate statement.
Alpine Shire Mayor Sarah Nicholas said it had been a day of “deep sorrow and shock” for the community.
“We are grieving together, and we will continue to support one another with compassion and care,” she said in a video message on social media, her voice breaking with emotion.
The mayor offered condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of the fallen police officers.
