Update:
The 18-year-old suspect shot dead by counter-terrorism police has been named by authorities as Abdul Numan Haider.
Senior police sources confirmed Mr Haider, whose family is from Afghanistan, was the “person of interest” who was expected to attend an interview at Melbourne’s Endeavour Hills police station when the shooting occured last night.
“There’s certainly information that he was present at the shopping centre in the last week or so with the flag that appeared to be an ISIS flag,” Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay told the ABC. “It’s not an offence but clearly it drew our attention to this person and we had a conversation with this person.”
Mr Haider had also been associated with a radical Islamic group named Al-Furqan, although the ABC reports it is understood he had recently moved away from the group.
Mr Haider’s Facebook page includes photographs of the teenager wearing military camouflage with an Islamic flag, Fairfax Media reports.
“The main message I’m sending with these statuses and photos is to the dogs AFP and ASIO who are declaring war on Islam and Muslims,” a post on Mr Haider’s Facebook page reads.
Previously, Mamamia wrote…
An 18-year-old man has been shot dead by counter-terrorism police in outer south-east Melbourne, while two policemen have been stabbed in the frightening incident.
Police said one Victorian police officer and one AFP officer met a Narre Warren man outside the Endeavour Hills police station at about 7:45pm last night.
The suspect had been asked to come in to the station by police to answer questions regarding an ongoing terrorism investigation — but after greeting the two officers with a handshake he attacked the officers with a sharp instrument, then ran towards the police station and was shot, Fairfax Media reports.
Police sources said it was the Victorian officer who shot the man.
The ABC reports that the man’s passport had been confiscated and he had made threats in the past towards the Prime Minister.
He had also seen with an Islamic State flag at the Dandenong shopping centre, the Daily Telegraph reports, although AFP Commander Bruce Giles told the ABC those reports were unconfirmed.
“There is intelligence to suggest that this incident may have happened but (we’re) still confirming all the details to bring the links together on that,” Mr Giles said.
While Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius would not go into detail about why police wanted to speak to the man, the ABC reports it is understood he had made threats against Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
Senior intelligence sources have confirmed the man’s passport had recently been cancelled.
According to The Age the AFP officer was in hospital in a critical condition but has stabilised, while the Victorian officer was taken to Dandenong Hospital in a less serious condition suffering stab wounds to the arms.
“Our members had no inkling that this individual posed a threat to them,” Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said.
“It’s absolutely clear to us that our members really had no choice other than to act in the way in which they did.”
“Obviously both members are in shock but we are doing everything when can to provide them with support and assistance in what is for any police officer an incredibly difficult and challenging time,” Mr Cornelius said.
Mr Cornelius added it was “important that the community understands this is not an exercise in police seeking to single out particular individuals”, the Daily Telegraph reports.
“Where we see individuals in the community behaving in a way which causes a concern to public safety, we have to reach out to those individuals and do what we can to understand what it is that they might be planning to do and put ourselves in a position to deal with those individuals in a way which is safe and in a way which promotes community safety,” he said.
A bomb-disposal unit was called to inspect the suspect’s nearby car and the police station, Fairfax Media reports.
The Islamic Council of Victoria has called for an investigation into the incident and why it cost the teenaged suspect his life, the ABC reports.
“There needs to be a full and objective investigation into this incident to ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated,” the council said in a statement.
“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,” the statement said.
“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.”
More to come.
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Top Comments
Ok so this may seem like a dumb question since (obviously) I wasn't there during the altercation and stabbing of the two police officers, but couldn't the officer(s) have shot the deceased in the leg/arm/shoulder/anywhere but killed him? I would think that he would be worth more alive than dead (for the purpose of gathering information etc). And now I, along with many other aussies, fear retribution. Killing people is not our way.
Stopping someone from murdering two other innocent people with a knife is not an outrageous concept and applies in every culture, including ours.
So you want to play what if, Ok what if your friend has just been stabbed multiple times in the face and abdomen in a surprise attack, as you react and unclip, draw and remove the safety from your gun the attacker has turned his attention on you, you have your arm up to protect your body from the blows of the knife and it is being deeply cut......what if you wound him but he just keep coming?, what if you wound him and he turns and delivers a fatal blow to your friend?. No the police did EXACTLY the right thing, their lives and safety is worth far more than anything that Abdul knew or would tell. Australians have a proud history of standing up for what we believe is right, and yes that has involved killing people, it is not OUR WAY to shy away from a threat posed by religious extremists, especially here at home!
Yes you're correct. It is a dumb question.
Why is the life of a police officer valued more than an ordinary citizen? If you are right, that "the police did EXACTLY the right thing", why do ordinary citizens also not have the same right? Yes, we all know that we have the right to defend ourselves but the caveat is that it must be proportionate to the danger. Nowhere have I seen that the police are EVER questioned about whether or not the "right" amount of force was executed whilst ordinary citizens are forced to defend themselves - at a huge cost both financially and emotionally - in court for having defended themselves against a terrorist (aka an intruder).
It terrifies me to think that Australia, which I believed to be the safest place in the world, far from all the terrorism, has lost it's innocence in a way. I do believe the world has gone crazy and no one is safe from extremists and the terror they insist on causing. I have no problem with peace loving Muslims, I don't have a problem with anyone who has a religion that they follow. I do and we all should be concerned with anyone who follows extremists. It is only a matter of time before we see beheading in countries outside of war torn countries, the same kind of attack on the poor English soldier. That is a world that no one wants. Although sending troops to Syria and supporting America has put us at a heightened state of alert, what is the alternative? Do we allow these monsters to kill, rape, behead and terrorise their own or do we stand and fight for peace and contentment for all ?