Hunting after two police officers shot dead

A huge management of the “strongly armed” suspect after two Australian police officers was shot and one was killed in a small rural city in Victoria.

Police described the Perepunka situation in the Australian Alps – about 300 km (186 miles) northeast of Melbourne – as an “active incident” with hundreds of employees deployed to find the suspect.

Officers were attacked when 10 of them took part in the property to serve arrest warrant, which, according to Australian media, was intended for historical crimes.

Police say the suspect fled to the bush alone and on foot after firing. Officers are still trying to find a wife and children.

Police Chief Commissioner Victoria Mike Bush said there were 10 officers at about 10:30 local time (00:30 GMT).

He said that the officers who fired a strongly armed criminal said that two colleagues were “killed by cold blood” and a third was seriously injured and taken to the hospital.

The head of the state police said that all available resources were used in the installation for a “dangerous” suspect, and urged the locals to remain indoors.

“(Our) priority is to arrest him and bring the safety and security of this community,” the officer said.

The footage from the scene was previously shown by dozens of police located in the rape, and a police helicopter was swirling in the area.

A city of about 1,000 people are part of alpine local government.

In his statement, the mayor of the Alpine wide council Sarah Nicolas paid tribute to the officers, continuing “thoughts, love and unwavering” support to his families.

“Today was a day of deep sadness and shock for our community … We mourn together,” she said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albonez and Prime Minister Victoria Jasinta Alan praised police officers for bravery.

Local resident Emily White told the BBC that she and her guests were leaning in the Karavansky Park she owned.

“I think the reality is really established – that it is really, a really terrible situation,” said Ms. White.

“We are such a small community, and we will leave our cars uninspired and we will leave our front door open. Nothing like this happens.”

The reports in the Austilian media say that the militant is a self -proclaimed “sovereign citizen” – which refers to who falsely think that they do not obey the Australian law and state bodies.

In short, called SOVCITS, these people were presence in the country for decades, according to the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

Police say they are mostly harmless, but in recent years there has been a revival of beliefs – partly fueled by distrust of power that have intensified the pandemic.

In her briefing in 2023, AFP stated that the movement had “the main ability to inspire violence.”

Crime with weapons in Australia is relatively rare, which has some of the most stringent weapons in the world.