Two police officers shot dead in a raid in Brisbane, Australia

Dec. 13 () –

The Australian authorities have reported this Tuesday that two police officers have been shot dead in a raid on a property in the city of Brisbane.

“It is with a heavy heart that we confirm the deaths of Constable Matthew Arnold and Constable Rachel McCrow. Their lives were tragically cut short in the line of duty in Wieambilla yesterday,” Queensland Police said.

The police officers, identified as Rachel McCrow, 26, and Matthew Arnold, 29, went Sunday afternoon along with two other officers to a property in the west of the city to investigate a missing persons case in New Wales. South, a raid described as a “calculated and targeted execution,” reports Australia’s ABC.

In addition to McCrow and Arnold, a civilian -a 58-year-old resident of the area- would also have died as a result of the shots when he approached the surroundings to find out what was happening.

After that, the Police fired at the presumed suspects, two men and a woman, who have died.

Commissioner Katarina Carroll has conveyed 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 have helped on the scene,” she said.

“Tragically, this is the largest loss of life the Queensland Police Service (QPS) has suffered in a single incident in recent memory.” This is devastating news and I know it will be deeply felt throughout Queensland,” Carroll said, according to a State Police statement.

The president of the Queensland Police Union, Ian Leavers, has explained that “there was no intelligence to suggest that there was any danger or threat” when starting the operation on a missing person.

The circumstances surrounding the incident, including the deaths, will be investigated by the police and reviewed by the Ethics Standards Command on behalf of the State Coroner, and are subject to supervision by the Crime and Corruption Commission.