Varroville police operation underway, hours after South Windsor siege

Police have charged a man with nine alleged offences and released CCTV of another who remains at large after what they claim was a possible gangland hit attempt in Sydney’s west.

Police have charged a man and released CCTV of another still at large after what investigators claim was a botched gangland hit attempt — with a dog squad officer “lucky” to escape injury when bullets hit his car in the wild pursuit afterwards.

Police said the owner of a home in Edensor Park was “fortunate not to be home” when an armed man was seen brazenly standing at his front door in what “quite possibly” could have been a gangland hit.

The incident began about 1.30am on Tuesday when officers were called to Edensor Park to reports two men had broken into a home, armed with a gun.

CCTV released by NSW Police shows a white Hyundai idling in the street before the unknown man, dressed in all black, peers around the front of the property.

CCTV footage has been issued in relation to an an attempted break and enter at Edensor Park at 1.30am on Tuesday. Picture: NSW Police

He is seen to try kicking the door down before getting back into the vehicle with several objects in his hands.

Residents told police the pair fled the scene in a Hyundai sedan, before the vehicle was then spotted a short time later by officers nearby on Cowpasture Rd, Hinchinbrook.

A bullet hole on the bonnet of a police car involved in the pursuit.

Police gave chase when the Hyundai failed to stop, but terminated the pursuit soon after due to safety concerns.

Twenty minutes later, road spikes deployed on St Andrews Rd, Varroville caused the car to crash.

Police arrested one man after deploying tyre spikes on an alleged getaway car. Picture: 9 News

The 20-year-old male driver was arrested at the scene about 1.50am, while police seized two pistols, an assault rifle, and other weapons from the vehicle, which has since towed away for further examination.

The male passenger fled the scene on foot, sparking a huge police manhunt.

CCTV footage has been issued in relation to an an attempted break and enter at Edensor Park at 1.30am on Tuesday. Picture: NSW Police

The search for the armed passenger continued as the sun rose on Tuesday morning, with a perimeter established on St Andrews Rd and dozens of heavily armed officers searching dense bushland along with a Polair helicopter in the sky above the scene.

But search efforts were called off by midmorning when the unknown passenger could not be found despite police’s efforts.

Deputy Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell confirmed the search had “ceased”, with investigators confident he had left the area.

The police operation on St Andrews Rd in Varroville. Picture: 7News

He said police were no longer concerned for the community’s safety as it was a “targeted incident” which investigators suspect was “gang related”, with both the man in custody and the Edensor Park homeowner known to police.

“I can only speculate but with the affiliations of the resident of the premises, we can only speculate that it’s gang related,” Det Comm Thurtell said.

Police are still hunting for the passenger, who they describe as being of medium build, and wearing a face mask, black Nike hoodie, black track suit pants, white socks, black and white ‘Nike’ shoes and black gloves.

When later asked whether we could have seen another gangland hit, if the residents were home, Mr Thurtell said “quite possibly”.

“That is obviously is concerning to police that somebody so brazenly armed with a firearm would go up to a front door of a residential premises,” he said.

“The residents were fortunate to not be home at the time.”

When further asked if the gunman was there to kill the resident, Mr Thurtell said “that would be the logical reason” why the man would go to the residence.

Highway patrol police car blocking St Andrews Rd, Varroville right outside Mount Carmel Catholic College.

The driver of the car which was pursued was taken to Campbelltown Police Station where he was later charged with nine alleged offences including aggravated break and enter with intent armed with a dangerous weapon, possessing a military-style weapon without a permit and driving while suspended. 
He was refused bail and will face Parramatta Local Court on January 1.

It is understood the residents living at the Edensor Park home were on holidays, with a locksmith arriving on Tuesday morning to change the locks.

Mr Thurtell told media police were first alerted to an armed man standing at the front door of the Edensor Park home, but “no shots were fired” before he left the scene.

However, after fleeing the home and during the police chase, the passenger in the Hyundai “leant out of the window and fired several shots” at a police dog car with “at least two shots” hitting the vehicle.

“Fortunately the police officer and the dog were uninjured,” Mr Thurtell said.

Police have seized three firearms, including two handguns and one long arm from the vehicle.

Riot Squad police in South Windsor for Monday night’s siege. Picture: TNV

One Varroville resident, who wished not to be named, said he was “half asleep” when he heard helicopters and saw “a lot of bright lights”.

“I heard cars screaming down (the street) and … my wife heard four or five shots,” the resident said.

“It’s pretty devastating, it’s put Varroville on the map.”

Another resident who lives across the road was awoken by what sounded like a “freight train going through”.

The siege lasted almost two hours. Picture: TNV

“I always come out to investigate … I walked down the street, all the lights were on the street,” she said.

“I came and turned on all the lights in case there was anyone in the area … it helped the police.”

She said “hardly anything like that happens” in her quiet neighbourhood and added it was concerning to hear what actually happened on the news.

“What I heard from the neighbours there was probably like three or four (gun shots),” she said.

It comes after the unrelated stabbing of a man in South Windsor sparked another police operation in South Windsor on Monday night.

About 7.20pm, emergency services were called to a house on Caldwell St, after reports following reports of a stabbing, where they found a 63-year-old man with multiple stab wounds.

He was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics and taken to Nepean Hospital.

Specialist police quickly arrived on the scene and established a perimeter around the home, before just under two hours later a 64-year-old man left the property and was arrested.

He was taken to Blacktown Hospital.

Police have established a crime scene and inquiries are ongoing.