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Man reportedly armed with explosives takes hostage captive in Bunbury Man reportedly armed with explosives takes hostage captive in Bunbury
(35 minutes later)
A siege is continuing in the West Australian city of Bunbury, where a man who may be armed with explosives is keeping a hostage captive. Heavily armed officers have converged on a Bunbury park where a man known to police has been holding someone hostage since Thursday evening.
Local police and members of the WA Police tactical response group sealed off Lucianna Park, near Koombana Bay – a tourist precinct which has a marina and holiday accommodation – after being called about 6.20pm on Thursday. An armoured vehicle is also at the scene near the corner of Koombana Drive and Blair Street in Bunbury, about 170km southwest of Perth.
Heavily armed tactical response group officers have an armoured Bearcat vehicle at the scene. The Seven Network has shown footage of the man kneeling over his hostage on the ground in the park on the shore of the bay, with police nearby.
WA police spokesman Samuel Dinnison said members of the tactical response group were on the site and dealing with the situation. The man has a large banner with “Police release Batty Archibald CCC report” written on it. The scene is cordoned off and members of the public have been urged to stay away.
Earlier media reports suggested the man may have explosives strapped to his body, but Kinnison would not confirm if explosives or other substances were involved. A police negotiator has used a megaphone to communicate with the hostage taker, urging him to consider how his hostage was feeling and to end the situation peacefully. She told the man that the media was present, and had seen his banner.
He asked the public to avoid the area until further notice. Images taken by reporters at the scene show a man wearing a black hooded top and a figure in the background, sitting. It is believed the hostage is not known to the man who is holding him against his will.“At this stage, we don’t believe there is any relationship between the pair and we believe that person was identified randomly and, yes, that is a concern,” Commander Alf Fordham told reporters.
Dinnison said it’s unclear what sparked the hostage situation. The man has erected a handwritten sign. Police have sent a robot closer to the hostage taker.
Police will hold press conference at 6am on Friday. Police have not confirmed media reports that the man may be armed with explosives or a gas cylinder.
“We have concerns for one person in the vicinity of this man, who we are trying to negotiate with,” WA Police spokesman Sam Dinnison said earlier.
“Members of the Tactical Response Group are on the site and they are dealing with the situation.”