Police officers have been killed and
another's been wounded in a shooting in
a rural property in the state of
Victoria. It happened in the town of
Poor Punka around 300 kilometers
northeast of Melbourne. Officers
described the incident as ongoing.
The BBC's Simon Atkinson is in Sydney
and had more details about what's
happened.
>> Police have now confirmed that two
officers have died in that incident and
another one has been injured. What we
know is they were part of a group of 10
officers who went to the property at
Poor Punka about 300 kilometers
northeast of Melbourne to execute an
arrest warrant. And clearly something
has gone catastrophically wrong. There's
already um speculation that the fact
that they went in such large numbers to
to do an arrest suggests they may have
been expecting problems. But um clearly
that's exactly what's happened. And as
far as we're aware, the alleged offender
still hasn't been caught. Details are
still kind of coming in. Um, but what we
do know is those deaths have been
confirmed. The local police association
has called it the senseless murder of
our mates and Australia's Prime Minister
Anthony Albanzy has said his thoughts
are with what's going on. Things like
this are very rare in Australia. We
don't get much gun crime here. It's got
some of the strictest gun regulations in
the world. They were brought in after
the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania
almost 30 years ago. Although there was
an incident in Queensland in December
2022 when officers went to a property
and they were ambushed and three police
were killed. Investigators um believe
that was religiously motivated
terrorism. The inquests into that hasn't
fully concluded yet, but certainly we're
going to get more information of this as
the evening here in Australia wears on.
Um but clearly with the confirmation of
those deaths, um you know, we know that
it is extremely serious.
>> Simon Atinson there. Let's go to
Victoria now. In Australia, the state
police chief, Commissioner Mike Bush, is
giving a briefing about this incident.
>> We are deeply deeply sorry for this
event. We will give them every support
that we possibly can and that extends to
the officers immediate families, but
also the family of police.
>> Do you have a message for the person who
killed these officers?
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.
>> When are you looking to put out an image
of the suspects?
>> Thank you for that question. Uh probably
imminently.
I understand there are already images in
the public domain, but we'll put out our
own message.
>> The office is from the northeast. is out
of the world generally speak.
>> I'm not going to say anything at this
point until we're at a position to tell
you exactly who those officers are and
give you their backgrounds.
>> Are you getting support from New South
Wales?
>> In what ter in what term in terms of uh
physical?
>> Yeah, they are briefed and on standby to
assist.
>> They've reached out. We've reached out
to them.
>> Is that common?
Absolutely.
>> Have they already sent people here or
they just
>> They're on standby.
>> Have you had any um communication from
the public? Any sightings, anything that
that has helped? At this point,
>> we're getting a wealth of information
that we're working through at the
moment,
but I can't give you any specifics on
that. But, you know, I encourage the
public to continue to ring in whether
they're certain about things or not.
Please, if you think it's going to be
important or will help us find them,
please contact us.
>> You mentioned earlier hour by hour this
messaging will change. What is the best
way for the people in this vicinity to
be aware of of the the situation and the
changing situation?
>> Yes, we've got really good comms people
here who will put our messaging out from
the command room upstairs to the
communities. Uh we'll put it out through
radio. We'll put it out through
television.
>> The confidence still in the area.
Anything to indicate he might might have
fled the area?
>> We have nothing to suggest he's fled the
area, but we are keeping a very open
mind.
>> Can you describe
>> Can you describe the sort of property he
lives on? There was a report that he
lived in a bus. Does have vehicles on
the property. What can you
>> There was a semi-ural address with a
house and an adjoining bus. That's all I
can tell you at the moment.
>> And are they surrounding?
>> I don't believe so. I know where you're
going with that question. I don't
believe so. I believe it was a address
occupied by himself, his partner and his
children.
>> And are there not neighboring
>> I'm sure there are, but I'm just not
sure about the vicinity of those other
properties.
>> How many door knocks were carried out
today?
>> I can't tell you.
>> Last questions, guys.
>> Just a horrible day for the forces.
>> Terrible day for the community. Terrible
day for the officers and their families.
and Victoria Police are fully deployed
to bring this matter to a peaceful
conclusion.
>> Thank you for your
>> Thank you
>> uh attention and help.
>> Thank you.
>> Appreciate it.
>> That's the Victoria State Police
Commissioner Mike Bush speaking from
Wangarata in Australia just confirming
that uh a gunman is still at large after
the shooting dead of two police
officers. They were ambushed at a rural
property around 300 kilometers northeast
of Melbourne. Uh no more details about
the identity of those officers as yet,
but the police saying that gunman is
still at