Melbourne man shot dead was a terrorism suspect, says Michael Keenan
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Version 0 of 1. An 18-year-old man shot dead by police officers in Melbourne on Tuesday night was a “known terror suspect” and person of interest to security agencies, the Australian government has said. The federal justice minister, Michael Keenan, issued a call for calm, in an apparent acknowledgment of the risk the “horrible incident” could inflame tensions at a time of major changes to Australia’s counter-terrorism laws and deployment of forces to the Middle East. The unnamed man, from Narre Warren, is understood to have stabbed two officers – one from the Australian federal police (AFP) and one from the Victoria force – as he arrived at Endeavour Hills police station in the Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs. The Victoria police officer was taken to the nearby Dandenong hospital and remained in a stable condition on Wednesday. The AFP officer, who was more seriously injured, was taken to the Alfred hospital and remained in a serious but stable condition. Police would not comment on media reports that the man had made specific threats against the prime minister, Tony Abbott, but Keenan said: “I can advise that the person in question was a known terror suspect who was a person of interest to law enforcement and intelligence agencies.” Keenan said the details of the incident were still being investigated. The man had attended the police station voluntarily after being asked to speak with officers, he said. “He has then carried out an unprovoked attack on the two officers at about 7.45pm,” Keenan said in a statement to media in Canberra on Wednesday. “The incident occurred during a police investigation and it appears that the shooting by the police officer was in self-defence. “Whilst this is a horrible incident we do need to remain calm and go about our daily lives. The police are our front line against people who wish to do us harm and it is exactly this type of bravery and dedication shown by these officers that will continue to keep our communities safe and secure.” Keenan said the public should feel confident that the police, the security services and the government were “taking every possible step to ensure their safety and the security of all our communities” and should “remain calm and let the authorities get on with their job”. He said the government’s thoughts were “with the injured officers and their families at this time”. Keenan refused to take any questions, saying “aspects of this incident are still ongoing”. The Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) called for a full investigation, saying the tragedy showed the need for the government “to deal with the root causes of alienation and disaffection of people such as this”. Police confirmed there was information suggesting the man had recently been seen displaying an Islamic State (Isis) flag, but said officers had wanted to speak to him about a “routine” issue. Victoria police assistant commissioner Luke Cornelius said the two officers had no idea that the 18-year-old posed a threat. “It’s absolutely clear to us that our members had no choice other than to act in the way in which they did,” he said. This is not an exercise in police seeking to single out particular individuals in the community.” The AFP officer was stabbed several times, while his Victorian colleague, who was stabbed twice in the forearm, fired the fatal shot. AFP commander Bruce Giles said the officers and the man had spoken cordially before the stabbing: “The incident took place in the course of normal greetings; so, meeting with the individual, shaking hands, introducing and then the incident unfolded.” He said it appeared the man had been acting alone. Neither Cornelius nor Giles commented on reports that the man had made threats against Abbott. “Where we see individuals behaving in a way which causes concern for public safety, we have to reach out to those individuals,” Cornelius said. Police declined to confirm the man’s name or occupation, or comment on suggestions that his passport had recently been cancelled. A crime scene was established, encompassing a nearby car which News Corp reported was believed to belong to the dead man. Bomb squad officers and police dogs carried out checks of the police station after the incident but Cornelius said the measures were precautionary. Officers from the homicide squad and professional standards were investigating the incident. The ICV said it noted the tragedy “with deep sorrow”. “Events that on face value should not have cost a young man his life and and put two police officers in hospital,” the council said in a statement to the ABC. “The tragedy highlights the real cost of a failure to deal with these serious issues and why we have made numerous calls on the Australian government to deal with the root causes of alienation and disaffection of people such as this. “This is not about laying blame but about a genuine need to identify the root causes and deal with them so that no further tragedies such as this occur again.” The incident comes amid heightened tension in Australia. Abbott has committed a 600-strong military force to the US-led coalition of more than 40 countries against Isis. The militant group has urged its supporters to kill civilians and soldiers in countries – including Australia – taking part in the action. Last week, more than 800 police officers carried out the largest counter-terrorism raids in the country’s history. Abbott’s government has plans for tough new anti-terrorism legislation, including a law that could see Australian citizens jailed if they travel to any area overseas the government has declared off-limits and are unable to show a legitimate reason for doing so. It raised the country’s terrorism alert level to high for the first time in 11 years earlier this month. |