19 March 2018

Police believe Chifley shooting to be bikie-related

| Ian Bushnell
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A man is in hospital with gunshot wounds as ACT Policing’s Taskforce Nemesis detectives investigate what they believe to be an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMCG) shooting in Chifley this morning (Monday 19 March).

Police said that about 6.30am there were reports that shots had been fired at a block of units in Maclaurin Crescent, and that a man bleeding profusely from gunshot wounds had sought help in the nearby service station on the corner of Melrose Drive and Botany Street in Phillip.

They said a man with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to an arm was taken by ambulance to The Canberra Hospital where he was in a stable condition.

Acting Superintendent of Criminal Investigations Shane Scott said police believed the shooting to be a brazen and targeted attack and OMCG-related.

Police identified projectile damage to several vehicles and other property at the location of the shooting, where AFP Forensic Services were examining the scene.

Acting Superintendent of Criminal Investigations Shane Scott said violent acts such as this would not be tolerated in the ACT.

“This was a brazen targeted shooting which resulted in injuries to a person and damaged surrounding property,” he said. “Any incident that involves firearms raises risk to the safety of the wider community.

“What we can’t condone or tolerate is people going around firing shots and trying to harm others in highly densely populated areas.”

Acting Superintendent Scott would not say whether it was a reprisal attack but said police were continually monitoring and proactively targeting members and their criminal activities to make sure the Canberra public was safe.

“We won’t tolerate brazen attacks on people in circumstances where the wider community could be injured or hurt,” he said.

Police are asking motorists with dash-cams who were driving in the area at the time, including along Melrose Drive, to check their footage for any suspicious activity.

Shadow Attorney General Jeremy Hanson said the ACT Labor Government had lost control of the bikie war in Canberra and without anti-consorting laws it was only a matter of time before someone was killed.

ACT Policing is urging anyone who saw any suspicious activity in Chifley or Phillip between 6am and 7am this morning, or who have any information or CCTV that could assist police, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via their website.

 

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