Two Victoria Police officers have been killed and another seriously injured in a shooting at a semi-rural property in Porepunkah, regional Victoria, while they were executing a search warrant. The suspect, who fled into bushland alone, remains at large and is believed to be heavily armed.
The deceased officers were a 59-year-old detective and a 35-year-old senior constable. A second detective is in hospital in a serious but stable condition. Police said ten officers attended the property at about 10.30am, a number that Victorian police chief commissioner Mike Bush said reflected the “gravity” of the situation.
The suspect lived at the property in a bus with his partner and two children, whose whereabouts are unknown. He is known to police, and the shooting took place “over minutes”, according to Mr Bush. Hundreds of police officers have been deployed to search for him, and the community has been told to stay indoors. Porepunkah Primary School was placed in lockdown, as was a nearby caravan park, and the local pub closed.
Mr Bush urged the suspect to surrender, saying: “My message to that person is give yourself up so that the community can be at peace and we can have this matter resolved peacefully.” He added that police had no indication the man had left the area but were keeping an “open mind”.
Tributes have poured in from the prime minister, police organisations and emergency services. The mayor of the Alpine Shire spoke of the “deep sorrow and shock” felt in the community. Police are investigating whether officers fired their weapons during the incident and expect to release images of the suspect imminently.
