Two men injured in separate Melbourne shootings
A McDonalds in Tullamarine is open for business this morning despite a crime scene in the carpark following a police shooting overnight.
Police & Courts
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A man has been shot by police in a McDonalds carpark after ramming two police cars.
Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said the couple in the car in the carpark of the Mickelham Rd fast food outlet were spotted by plain clothes officers acting suspiciously in the minutes before the dramatic incident.
The senior officer refused to comment on speculation the man and woman were involved in a drug deal and didn’t go into any detail about what criminal behaviour they were accused of before the ramming.
“Our members got out of their vehicles, identified themselves as police officers and as they called upon the occupants of the vehicle to stop, that vehicle has driven in their direction, rammed two police vehicles and the two members,” Mr Cornelius said.
“One of those members discharged their firearm as a result of that vehicle being driven at him.”
The man received a non-life threatening gunshot wound to the shoulder.
Mr Cornelius said the suspect is in a stable condition in hospital under police guard while the woman is currently being interviewed by police.
The pair, who were in a Toyota Corolla, are both aged 36-year-old, and the man is from Ararat while the woman is from Stawell.
The Armed Crime Squad is leading the probe. Professional Standards Command and IBAC are also involved.
“That is normal for all police shootings,” Mr Cornelius said.
“We are still searching for a white BMW sedan with registration AEA 525. This vehicle was next to the Corolla. It drove off at high speed and the assessment was made it was not safe to initiate a pursuit. We are keen to hear about that vehicle and speak to the occupants.”
The police officers involved in the shooting have given statements and will be offered counselling sessions.
“Our members are OK. None of them were injured. All of our members, particularly the member who discharged his firearm, are receiving welfare support,” Mr Cornelius said.
Mr Cornelius said he had viewed body camera footage from officers involved and supported their actions.
“I have seen the body worn camera footage and (heard the) audio,” he said.
“I can clearly see the officers were wearing police ID and ballistic vests, giving clear voice commands and calling on the suspects to stop and comply with their directions. That vision will be very useful in the investigation.
“There is good quality CCTV and that will assist as well.”
A number of witnesses have also given statements.
Mr Cornelius refused to say what suspicious activity the couple were involved in before the shooting.
“It is an ongoing investigation,” he said.
“I’m not wanting to give the game away.”
The officer who shot the suspect is a constable, Mr Cornelius said.
“I support my members when they find themselves in that position,” he said.
“I can understand why my members took the action they took.”
“I back my members in terms of the calls they make. I back my members in the face of these threats. Crooks should not think we are just going to stand by and let them get away with criminal behaviour. We will intervene in the moment. It is about keeping the community safe and holding people to account.”
The BMW police are now trying to track was displaying a false plate while the Corolla had a stolen plate.
This morning a silver car was seen wedged between the front of two unmarked police cars in the McDonalds carpark.
Forensic teams were focusing on the outside of the vehicle, including two bullet holes which can be seen through the car’s windscreen.
Ten vehicles, including the three involved in the incident, were behind police tape.
Investigators at the scene this afternoon moved to a third car, parked a short distance away from the silver Toyota.
Police combed through the contents of the car, a silver sedan, and removed items from the boot.
A number of cosmetic items, including perfume, appear to have been found inside.
The McDonalds store was still open for business this morning.
Two other shootings in Melton and Epping are believed to be unrelated to the ramming.
Police have been told a man, aged 25, attended a family member’s home about 2.30am this morning with a gunshot wound to his back.
His relative then called emergency services.
“The man has indicated that the shooting did not occur at that address but has refused to give police any further details,” Victoria Police spokesman Sam Bidey said.
“His injuries are not thought to be life threatening and an investigation is ongoing.”
In Epping, a 35-year-old man was shot in the foot early this morning.
It is believed the man was shot during an altercation in a car park on High St, near Rufus St, about 4.30am.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said “unknown offenders fled the scene.”
The man was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries and police are currently on scene.
Mr Cornelius said the victims in the Melton and Epping shootings overnight, which are not linked, are refusing to help police.
“The victims are not assisting us,” he said.
“We would be very keen for victims to help us. The fact shooting victims are not prepared to (help) tells us something about those individuals.”
Mr Cornelius said police were determined to get on top of gun crime in the northwestern suburbs.
He said he had noticed an increase in criminals willing to use guns in the last ten months.
“Since April last year I have seen a significant increase in the propensity of criminals to use firearms,” he said.
“We are doing everything we can to identify criminals who are arming themselves to take those guns out of the equation.
“We have been assisted in recent times with Parliament passing laws to allow us to be a lot more in the face of people using firearms.
“We have taken out close to 200 Firearm Prohibition Orders.
“Why are firearms been used more often? As we see the emergence of a gun culture and preparedness to use firearms in criminal activity it is very concerning. It is a risk not only to my members but the community. We are concerned there is a real risk innocent people are going to get hurt as a result of it.
“It is both individuals and also networked offending. Talking about gangs is an oversimplification.
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“Networked criminal offending is a means to an end. A capability that allows people to come together to commit crime together. People change allegiances as opportunity and capability shifts. We do have a focus on gangs but we have a very broad perspective. Our approach around networked offending is to look at the capabilities individuals in these groups have (and look at) how we can defeat their capability and take down their network.”