Two police officers have been killed and another injured while serving a warrant at an address in rural Australia, according to multiple local media reports.
Officials have yet to confirm any deaths but Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese and Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan have both praised the police officers involved for their bravery.
The “active incident” continues to unfold in Porepunkah, Victoria, where a local primary school has been placed in lockdown.
The Age, a major newspaper based in Melbourne, Victoria, reported that the police were at the address to serve a warrant for historical sex offences.
The Australian Federal Police Association – a union for federal officers – issued a statement offering “its deepest thoughts to the officers, families, and colleagues of Victoria Police affected by today’s incident”.
A large number of armed police as well as police helicopters have reportedly descended on the scene in Alpine Shire, where council services have also been suspended.
