Australian authorities reported Tuesday that two police officers have been shot dead in a raid on a property in the city of Brisbane.
«It is with heavy hearts that we confirm the deaths of Constable Matthew Arnold and Constable Rachel McCrow. Their lives were tragically cut short yesterday in the line of duty in Wieambilla,» Queensland Police have reported.
The police officers, identified as Rachel McCrow, 26, and Matthew Arnold, 29, went with two other officers to a property in the west of the city on Sunday afternoon to investigate a missing persons case in New South Wales, a raid described as a «calculated and targeted execution,» reports Australian broadcaster ABC.
In addition to McCrow and Arnold, a civilian — a 58 year old resident of the area — also reportedly died as a result of the shooting as he approached the vicinity to find out what was going on.
Police then fired on the alleged suspects, two men and a woman, who died.
Commissioner Katarina Carroll has extended her condolences to the families of the victims and the police force. «I would like to pay tribute to all the police and emergency services who helped at the scene,» she said.
«Tragically, this is the largest loss of life suffered by the Queensland Police Service (QPS) in a single incident in recent times. This is devastating news and I know it will be deeply felt across Queensland,» Carroll said, as quoted in a statement from the State Police.
Queensland Police Union President Ian Leavers explained that «there was no intelligence to suggest there was any danger or threat» in launching the missing person operation.
The circumstances surrounding the incident, including the deaths, will be investigated by police and reviewed by the Ethical Standards Command on behalf of the State Coroner, and are subject to oversight by the Crime and Corruption Commission.
