‘Ghost town’: gunman at large after two cops shot dead
Allanah Sciberras, Melissa Meehan and William Ton |
Panicked locals are on edge as police continue to scour a rural town for a fugitive gunman who shot two officers dead in what is being described as an ambush.
A primary school remains in lockdown in Porepunkah, about 300km northeast of Melbourne on Tuesday.
Two officers were killed at a rural property in an ambush attack involving a perpetrator believed to be a sovereign citizen, police sources not authorised to comment on the situation told AAP.
Hundreds of officers have been deployed to the town and its surrounds as a police helicopter circles overhead.
Officers across the nation were shocked and saddened by “the callous murder of two Victorian police officers and the serious wounding of another”, Police Federation of Australia president Kevin Morton said.
Victoria Police are yet to confirm any details.
Paramedics treated one person for serious lower body injuries and airlifted them to hospital in a stable condition, an Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said.
Police are urging the public to stay clear of the dangerous and active situation in the town of about 1000 residents, known for its vineyards and sweeping scenery.
Local post office and fuel station worker Reddy Gopi said the attack was distressing, occurring about one kilometre from his workplace.
The officers were allegedly ambushed while attending a property to issue a search warrant.
“Everyone is in a bit of a panic,” Mr Gopi told AAP.
“There were 200 to 300 policemen searching here and we’ve got a helicopter in the Porepunkah and Bright areas searching everywhere, and they’ve closed pretty much all the roads.”
Mr Gopi said he saw five SWAT teams speed by while police cars continue to scan the empty streets for the perpetrator.
“It’s pretty silent. It’s like a ghost town,” he said.
“Pretty much everyone is shocked. You never see this type of news here and this is very peaceful area. I haven’t even seen any noise complaints here.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government’s thoughts were with the force.
“The men and women who wear our uniform and wear the uniform of the police force, take risks each and every day,” he told reporters in Canberra.
The Police Association Victoria said it had sent critical incident support teams to the area to assist.
Following the incident, Porepunkah Primary School went into a “pre-emptive” lockdown.
Principal Jill Gillies said the school practised drills all the time, so the children were able to face the lockdown in a calm manner and were being entertained in their classrooms.
“Just for the safety of the kids and just to keep everything nice and calm, we went into lockdown,” she told ABC Radio.
The school has 104 children enrolled, and is located in the centre of the small town, and is well-stocked in the event the kids need to be kept overnight.
All council buildings in the Alpine Shire Council have been closed until further notice, as has Porepunkah Airfield.
Australian Federal Police Association president Alex Caruana said the group’s members stood in solidarity with their Victorian counterparts.
“Policing is dangerous and unpredictable work, and what has happened in Porepunkah is a reminder of the risks officers face every day in keeping the community safe,” Mr Caruana said.
The deaths mark the state’s biggest loss of police life since the 2020 Eastern Freeway crash when four officers died after a truck veered into the emergency lane and hit them as they were impounding a vehicle.
Two Queensland Police officers and a neighbour were shot dead by so-called sovereign citizens in an ambush in the Queensland town of Wieambilla in 2022 after they were called to a welfare check.
Victoria Police chief commissioner Mike Bush has briefed Premier Jacinta Allan, who praised officers for their extraordinary bravery and courage.
Police officers went to work each day knowing there was risk, state opposition leader Brad Battin said.
Victoria Police said further information would be provided when it was operationally safe to do so.
AAP
