THE BEAT: Woman threatened at knifepoint, has purse stolen in Launceston

A shotgun has been fired from a car in the state’s north, the second such incident in less than a week | A man is in custody after a woman was threatened with a knife and had her purse stolen. LATEST POLICE NEWS >>

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Another gun fired in public in Launceston

Thursday, 4.20pm: POLICE are investigating after a firearm was fired into the air from a vehicle in Launceston’s east this morning.

The firearm is believed to be a low-calibre sawn-off shotgun.

It was fired into the air from a red ute in the Ravenswood area about 9.45am.

It is the sixth firearm incident in Launceston this month.

Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information about illegal firearms to contact Crimestoppers or Launceston CIB.

Armed robbery in Launceston

Thursday 9.30am: A man is in custody after an alleged armed robbery this morning.

Launceston Police are investigating after a woman was threatened at knife point in Launceston opposite the Morty’s Shopping Complex.

Just after 8.30am this morning, it is alleged a woman was approached by a man who threatened her with a knife, before taking her purse.

Police allege the man then ran off on foot. The woman did not receive any physical injuries as a result of the incident.

The alleged offender was then taken into custody by police shortly afterwards in Balfour Street, Launceston. He remains in police custody.

Launceston Police are still investigating the incident.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to call Launceston Police on 131 444 or call Crime Stoppers Tasmania on 1800 333 000.

Truck crash blocks traffic

Wednesday, 6.25pm: A CRASH involving a truck has blocked both inbound lanes of the Midland Highway near Launceston.

Police said the two-vehicle accident occurred next to the caravan park.

Both lanes are expected to be blocked for some time because a truck is involved.

Police asked motorists to divert via the Prospect Vale slip lane and onto the Kings Meadows diverter road.

Firearm discharged in public

A MAN will appear in court today after being charged with allegedly discharging a firearm in public in Devonport.

Police claim the 35-year-old East Devonport man shot rounds into a vehicle in Canning Drive on Tuesday.

Police were called to East Devonport about 2.15pm after witnesses reported a man had got out of a car before discharging bullets into the vehicle.

Police claim they found a man inside a garden shed at a nearby house and also seized a sawn off .410 shotgun and a small amount of cannabis and methamphetamine.

“The 35 year old East Devonport man was arrested and has been charged with a number of firearms offences. He has been detained for court and will appear in the Devonport Magistrates Court later today,” police said.

They said no-one was injured during the incident.

Police thanked members of the public who raised the alarm and later helped police.

Anyone who saw what happened or has information that will assist the investigation to contact Police on 131444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestopperstas.com.au

Motorbike crash at Glenorchy

11.45AM: Motorists are asked to be cautious when travelling along the Brooker Highway in Glenorchy, with multiple traffic lights out of action after a motorbike crashed into a pole earlier this morning.

The traffic lights are out at both the Howard Rd and Goodwood Rd intersections of the highway.

Police are managing traffic flow in the area.

Motorists will soon be using traffic lights at the intersection of the Captain Cook Highway and the Cairns Waestern Arterial Road, part of road works on the Smithfield Bypass project. Picture: Brendan Radke

8.36AM: Amotorcyclist has been taken to hospital with non life threatening injuries after he crashed into a pole on the Brooker Highway this morning.

Police are on the scene of a crash involving a motorcycle on the Brooker Highway at the intersection of Goodwood Road, Glenorchy.

The north bound lanes of the Brooker Highway are currently blocked.

Motorists should avoid the area until further notice.

Due to a pole being damaged in the area, there will be traffic delays in both directions while the scene is cleared.

Couple rescued from icy lake

A RESCUE helicopter undertook a tricky mission to retrieve two people who took a freezing tumble into Lake St Clair on Tuesday evening.

The helicopter was deployed shortly before 8.20pm and arrived about 9pm to help in the rescue of the soaking wet male and female.

Tasmania Police said it was likely the pair had hypothermia given the harsh weather conditions and late time of day when the incident occurred.

Police said the pair will be brought Hobart for assessment and said both were safe and uninjured.

The aircraft faced difficulty reaching the site due to rising winds over the evening, while a severe weather warning is in place for damaging winds.

Lake St Clair. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

Concern at surge in firearms incidents

April 12

GETTING illegal firearms off the streets is a top priority for Launceston Police, says Detective Inspector Craig Fox.

According to police, there were 19 incidents of unlawful discharge of a firearm in public between July 2020 and April 12 this year – and eight of those occurred in the past six weeks

It was an increase of seven on the previous reporting period in the Northern District – a rise of 58 per cent.

There have been five incidents involving firearms in the area since the start of this month.

A woman was injured after shots were fired into her vehicle when she pulled over to the side of the road in St Leonards on April 1.

The following day, a homemade firearm was discharged during an altercation in Invermay.

In the early hours of the next morning, shots were fired into a Balfour Street home, in a separate incident.

Also on April 3, an unoccupied car and bus in Youngtown were damaged in a firearms incident.

And on Saturday night, a single shot was fired into the air from a shotgun from a vehicle during a neighbourhood dispute in Mayfield.

Detective Inspector Craig Fox addressing the media on Sunday after a firearm incident in Mayfield. Picture: Rosemary Murphy

Police believe the incidents in Youngtown and at the home on Balfour Street could potentially be linked based on the nature of the offences.

“No doubt the number of incidents over the past three weeks is concerning and police will continue to target people with illegal firearms,” Inspector Fox said.

“We don’t want the community to take matters into their own hands like in the neighbourly dispute in Mayfield.”

Three people were charged with firearms offences last week.

Inspector Fox said searches for illegal firearms were part of everyday practices with multiple residences searched on Monday specifically for firearms and drugs.

No firearms were found during the searches, but illicit substances were uncovered at a residence in Newstead and suspected stolen goods were located at a Kings Meadow property. Police expect to charge numerous people over the finds.

A gun amnesty is in place and police say getting intelligence from the public is crucial to cracking down on illegal firearms.

“What we want is the information on illegal firearms, homemade firearms and firearms in the hands of people we all know should not have them,” Inspector Fox.

“These are people who don’t have licences, some are using guns as a commodity, criminal elements of Launceston have an affinity for firearms, not unlike in other places,” he said.

Hunt for shotgun after neighbourhood dispute

POLICE are searching for the shotgun used during a neighbourhood disturbance in Launceston’s north on Saturday night.

Officers found numerous people on the street and two homes damaged when they arrived at the address on Lawson Street in Mayfield about 7.30pm.

A single shot from a shotgun is believed to have been fired into the air after one of the homes was damaged.

Police said no one was threatened with the firearm and no member of the public was placed at risk.

The parties involved in the dispute were known to each other.

Police searched those present at the time and the residences, but could not find the firearm.

It comes after four separate firearm incidents around Launceston between Thursday and Saturday last week.