Major Crime Division officers along with Narrogin and Wheatbelt Detectives are investigating several incidents and the death of a man that commenced yesterday, Saturday 21 October 2023.
About 5.20pm, a black Mitsubishi Triton utility with five occupants (including driver) stopped on Albany Highway in Bannister to assist the occupants of a red Holden Commodore sedan that had crashed.
A passenger from the Triton utility went over to the Commodore sedan to assist the occupants when a man carrying a firearm and a woman appeared from bushes near the crash site.
The woman ran in front of the Triton utility and the man pointed the firearm towards the occupants inside the vehicle.
As the driver of the Triton utility attempted to drive away, the man discharged one round into the passenger side window, with the firearm projectiles traveling through the front cab area and exiting through the driver's side window.
The driver of the Triton utility drove away at speed. A short time later the Triton utility returned to the area to collect the passenger who had gotten out to assist the people in the crashed Commodore sedan. As the Triton utility came back into the area, the male offender discharged a second round into the rear of the utility. None of the occupants of the vehicle were injured.
Two occupants (including the driver) in a gold Volvo BZ station wagon came across the same crash scene and were stopped by the male and female offenders. The male offender once again pointed the firearm at the occupants and ordered them to exit the Volvo station wagon. The offenders fled in the stolen Volvo station wagon.
About 10.30pm, police received a report that a man followed a woman driving in Merredin and pointed a firearm towards her. Just before 11pm, another report to police stated a gold Volvo station wagon was sighted at a Merredin service station but fled at speed when the driver sighted police.
Police followed the Volvo station wagon at a distance and an Emergency Alert was issued to the Merredin community advising residents to remain inside and secure their premises.
About 11.45pm, a 24-year-old woman exited the stolen Volvo station wagon and was taken into custody by police.
Around 12.05am on Sunday 22 October 2023, the stolen Volvo station wagon came to a stop on Great Eastern Highway in Merredin. Police approached the vehicle and found the male driver unconscious and unresponsive with an apparent self-inflicted injury to his head. Police commenced CPR until SJA WA paramedics arrived. They were unable to revive the man who has not been formally identified.
Major Crime Division officers will investigate the circumstances surrounding the man's death.
The investigation is continuing and officers urge anyone who saw, or who has dash-cam vision of the stolen gold Volvo BZ station wagon in the Bannister and Merredin areas between 6pm on Saturday 21 October and 12.30am on Sunday 22 October 2023, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via www.crimestopperswa.
