Violent criminal Sam Liszczak found dead on side of road after alleged shooting spree

A man has been charged with murder after allegedly falling out with his travel companion, a violent criminal just released from jail for shooting a cop in the face during an attempted arrest for a botched firebombing on Carl Williams’ family.

Sam Liszczak, who was found dead on the side of Fernbank Creek Rd, near Port Macquarie, on Thursday. Picture: Facebook

A violent criminal found dead on the side of a road on the NSW mid-north coast on Thursday had recently been released from jail for shooting a police officer in the face.

Sam Dieter Lisczak, 30, was found shot dead near Fernbank Creek Rd, an access road to the M1 motorway, near Port Macquarie.

In 2015, Liszczak was jailed for shooting a police officer in the face during an attempted arrest over the bungled firebombing of late Underbelly kingpin Carl Williams a few days earlier.

The officer was shot in the face at point blank range after trying to intercept Liszczak and colleague Rodney Phillips in a school carpark.

This week, police alleged Liszczak was one of three men in a car who travelled together from Victoria to the NSW mid-north coast.

Police investigating the black Mercedes dual cab ute found dumped at Wayne Richards Park. Picture: Janine Watson

On early Thursday morning, at least three random motorists were allegedly peppered with bullets. When police attempted to make an arrest, shots were also fired into a police car.

Lisczak’s body was found on the side of the same road on which the police car was hit.

Cory James Glass and Tyrone Russell are arrested on a Kempsey riverbank. Picture: ABC

On Thursday afternoon, police arrested Liszczak’s associates, 26-year-old Cory James Glass and 32-year-old Tyrone Russell on a riverbank, behind Geoffrey Debenham St, Kempsey.

Glass was taken to Kempsey Police Station and charged with three counts of discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and three counts of firing a firearm in or near a public place.

Russell was held in hospital under police guard until Friday morning.

When he was released he was taken to Kempsey Police Station and charged with murder and six firearms related offences.

He was refused bail to appear in Kempsey Local Court on Saturday.

Police will allege in court the men had travelled together from Victoria in the ute, before the older man fatally shot the 30-year-old after a falling out.

Earlier, about 1.40am Thursday, police will allege a motorist was shot as he drove along the motorway at Coopernook, just past Taree.

He suffered a graze to his arm from the bullet and was treated by paramedics before being allowed to leave and give a statement to police.

About 4.40am, police were called to the M1 at The Hatch, near Port Macquarie, following reports of shots fired at another vehicle. No injuries were reported.

Some 35 minutes later, shots were fired at another vehicle on the M1 at nearby Kundabung. Again, no injuries were reported.

A short time later, shots were fired in the direction of a police vehicle on the M1 near Fernbank Creek Rd, Port Macquarie.

No officers were injured but a police vehicle was struck.

Liszczak’s body was found on the side of the same road and a crime scene was established.