A man has died after a pursuit of up to 45 minutes through the northwest this morning which ended in a “tragic” shooting in a Tullamarine street.
The pursuit began around 1.30am following a tip-off to police about several burglaries of businesses in the west.
The Star Weekly understands the men were followed from Werribee to St Albans, then ditched the car and were tracked by helicopter to the Western Ring Road.
Police tried to intercept the men as they approached the Tullamarine Freeway but the trio sped off, police say.
The men then tried to drive up an embankment on the freeway before jumping out of the car and running towards Carrick Drive, with a police helicopter and the dog squad in pursuit.
At least one man was “cornered into a factory” in Carrick Drive around 1.45am in a stolen car, police believe.
“He was boxed in,” Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said.
“It tragically ended with a police officer at sergeant level discharging a firearm and, unfortunately, fatally killing a male in the back of a factory.
“[It] looks like there has been collision between the offender’s vehicle and the police car.
“The sergeant has got out of the car for some reason … at some stage the offending vehicle has pinned the sergeant against a brick wall.
“At that point the sergeant discharged his firearm. We believe four shots were fired, one of them fatally wounding the man who was driving the stolen vehicle.”
Assistant Commissioner Leane said the sergeant was lucky to escape with suspected “severe bone bruising and other serious bruising”.
“If that’s all he’s got he’s been very, very lucky,” he said.
Two Deer Park men, aged 18 and 22, were arrested moments later after they stole a van but became bogged nearby.
Another officer suffered a hand injury in the pursuit.
“The other members are shaken up. It was a significant issue that will affect them today and into the future,” Assistant Commissioner Leane said.
“It was a big team involved in this. It’s a tragic day for the Victorian community.”
Professional Standards Command has also attended the scene.
