Two Australian police officers were shot killed and one injured in an ambush at a residence in a tiny rural town in the state of Victoria, sparking a massive manhunt for a "heavily armed" male suspect.
In Porepunkah, in the Australian Alps, around 300 kilometers (186 miles) northeast of Melbourne, police called the situation a "active incident" and said hundreds of personnel were sent out to find the suspect.
When ten officers arrived at the residence to serve an arrest warrant—which the Australian media claimed was for historical sex offenses—they were attacked.
After the gunshot, the suspect fled into the jungle by himself, according to the police. Police continue to search for the man's wife and kids.
At around 10:30 local time (00:30 GMT) on Tuesday, ten officers visited the residence, according to Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush.
He claimed that a highly armed criminal had shot upon them and that two of his coworkers, a senior constable (35 years old) and a detective (59 years old), had been "murdered in cold blood."
Shots were fired into the lower torso of a third cop. According to Mr. Bush, he was airlifted to the hospital and was having surgery. He doesn't have any life-threatening injuries.
The state police head advised residents to remain indoors and stated that every resource was being employed in the manhunt for a "dangerous" criminal.
"[Our] priority is to arrest him and bring safety and security to this community," stated the police officer.
He went on to say that police "are still looking to locate his partner and two children, but he was not seen to head into the bush with them" and that the suspect was thought to have been alone when the incident occurred.
He said that the large number of officers there demonstrated their awareness of the dangers and asked the shooter to surrender.
The type of raid that cops were conducting at the property was not confirmed by the police chief.
A police helicopter was seen circling the area, and hundreds of police officers were sent to Porepunkah, according to footage taken earlier Tuesday.
The town is a part of the Alpine Shire local government region and has a population of approximately 1,000. Travelers have been cautioned not to enter the area.
Mayor Sarah Nicholas honored the police in a statement, offering their families her "thoughts, love, and unwavering" support.
For our community, this has been a day of profound shock and sadness... Together, we are grieving," she remarked.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese both commended the cops for their courage.
Emily White, a local, told the BBC that she and her visitors had taken refuge in a caravan park that she owned.
"I think reality really set in - that this is a really, really horrible situation," said Ms White.
Since our town is so small, we'll keep our front doors open and our automobiles unlocked. This kind of event never occurs.
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