A 57-year-old Australian police officer has been tragically shot dead while serving a warrant to repossess a home on a rural property in Tasmania. The officer arrived at the house in North Motton, near the town of Ulverstone, on Monday morning when he was fired at by a member of the public. A second police officer returned fire, injuring the suspect’s hand, before the suspect surrendered and received treatment in hospital.
Police Commissioner Donna Adams described the incident as “truly shocking” and emphasized that the safety of officers is the top priority. “We know that policing can be risky, but we expect every officer to finish their shift and come home back to their families,” she said. The officer, who had served the community for 25 years, was accompanied by a senior and experienced sergeant when he was shot while making his way to the front of the house.
The police commissioner praised the colleague who managed to call for assistance while in a situation of danger and peril. Investigations into the incident are underway, and well-being support is being provided to those involved and affected. Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff called the incident a “heartbreaking tragedy” and offered his condolences to the officer’s family and colleagues. “To everyone who had the honour of knowing this officer, especially his family and his colleagues… the love of an entire state is with you today,” he said.
Shootings are relatively rare in Australia, which has strict gun laws in place following a massacre in Port Arthur, Tasmania, in 1996 that killed 35 people. The incident has sent shockwaves through the community, and the police are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the officer’s death.