Stanley Turvey shot dead by police after three-day manhunt

Stanley Turvey, who evaded authorities in a cross-border crime spree, has been killed by police in Victoria’s north.

A Victorian man who has evaded authorities in a three-day cross-border crime spree has been shot dead by police.

Stanley Turvey, who has a hand grenade tattooed on his cheek, was killed on Wednesday near Shepparton in Victoria’s north after dodging authorities since Monday.

His 48-hour rampage, which included taking a man hostage and forcing him to drive into regional NSW, kicked off on Monday when police issued Turvey with a firearm protection order and located him at a property in Katandra West, also in Shepparton, with a gun.

Authorities had attempted to arrest Turvey, and take him “safely into custody”, Eastern Region’s Acting Assistant Commissioner Karen Nyholm said.

Police located an armed Turvey at the Ardmona property off the back of intelligence leading investigators there on Wednesday morning, assistant commissioner Nyholm said.

“Police have taken action that’s required (them) to shoot Stanley Turvey and unfortunately he is now deceased,” she said.

Another person was at the property who was not injured, but it’s unclear what their relationship was with Turvey assistant commissioner Nyholm said. Turvey received medical treatment at the scene but was declared dead at the scene, according to an earlier police statement.

Assistant commissioner Nyholm said police had contact with his family and some associates, and it was their intention to get him to surrender himself.

It is believed he had a criminal history, but assistant commissioner Nyholm would not elaborate.

In July this year, Turvey posted a video of himself to social media holding up what appeared to be a pistol. He placed a filter on the video with cartoon police cars and flashing colours.

Stanley Turvey.

Officers had been trying to nab Turvey since he fired two shots in the air after he approached two police about midday on Monday.

At the time, they were attempting to arrest him at a property in Katandra West — in Shepparton — as part of an ongoing investigation.

He fled in a car, with officers chasing him in a high-speed mission but they lost control of their vehicle and rolled it.

Turvey stopped at a random residence in Youanmite, also in the state’s far north, where he took a man “hostage” to drive him to Finley in NSW, assistant commissioner Nyholm said. It is believed the male was then released in Finley and was not injured.

He then came back into Victoria, and on Tuesday allegedly stole another car, entered a school and harassed a group of tradies.

Mr Turvey is believed to have entered Sacred Heart College in Yarrawonga, just south of the New South Wales border, after 9am wearing what is believed to be a high-visibility jacket.

Principal Lew Nagle confirmed an intruder had entered the Wexford Campus, which is currently under renovation, before he “menaced” a group of tradies and corralled them into a building on site.

Authorities block off a road at Ardmona where police have shot dead fugitive Stan Turvey. Picture: David Crosling

Mr Nagle said one of the contractors was struck in the face and received “facial bruising” from the intruder who yelled his demands at the group.

On Wednesday, a childhood friend of Mr Turvey said his late friend had a “heart of gold” and was merely misunderstood, having recently been released from a long stint in prison.

“He had a heart of gold, he was a good bloke,” the man, who wished not to be named, told The Australian.

According to his friend, Mr Turvey had been struggling with assimilating back into life outside of prison, where he had recently served a five-year sentence, adding that the 33-year-old had been “in and out of jail” throughout his younger years.

“Jail got to his head,” he said.

Reacting to commentary he had read about his friend following the three-day manhunt, Mr Turvey‘s friend said he was being unfairly portrayed as a vigilante by people who didn’t know him.

“I understand what he has done is wrong, but I don’t like how people are bagging him on social media.”