Two police officers killed, third injured in Porepunkah warrant

Two Victoria Police officers were killed and a third was seriously injured on Tuesday while serving a warrant at a rural property in Porepunkah, near Bright in Victoria’s Alpine region. The incident, which unfolded at a remote farming property, prompted a massive emergency response as heavily armed officers, including specialists, swarmed the area and the surrounding community was placed on high alert while the gunman remained at large.

Police were called to the property just before 11:00 a.m. local time to execute a warrant connected to historical sex offences. The shooting occurred as officers conducted the operation, leaving two officers dead and another with serious lower-body injuries who was flown to hospital in a stable condition. The shooter is believed to have fled, and authorities have urged residents to stay indoors and avoid the area as the search continues. The shooting also forced the lockdown of Porepunkah Primary School and disrupted local services in the town, which sits at the base of the alpine region and is home to about a thousand residents.

The immediate response included a substantial deployment of police resources from Victoria and specialised units, with...