One man has been charged following a police operation on the state’s Mid North Coast yesterday.
About 1.40am (Thursday 9 November 2023), police were called to the M1 at Coopernook following reports of shots fired at a Landcruiser from a Mercedes utility, where the driver sustained a bullet graze to his arm. The man presented to Manning Base Hospital for treatment.
About 4.40am, police were then called to the M1 at The Hatch, following reports of shots fired at another vehicle. No injuries were reported to police.
About 5.15am, shots were also allegedly fired at another vehicle on the M1 at Kundabung. No injuries were reported to police.
A short time later, shots were allegedly fired in the direction of a police vehicle on the M1 near Fernbank Creek Road, Port Macquarie. No officers were injured.
About 10.30am, the utility was located abandoned at Wayne Richards Park at Port Macquarie. The vehicle was seized to undergo forensic examination.
A large-scale police operation was established by the Mid North Coast Police District – assisted by officers from Manning-Great Lakes Police District, and several NSW Police specialist units, including PolAir, the Tactical Operations Unit, the Police Dog Unit, Traffic and Highway Patrol, and other Northern Region resources – to locate those involved.
About 3.15pm, two men – aged 26 and 32 – were arrested behind Geoffrey Debenham Street, Kempsey, and have been taken to Kempsey Police Station.
The 32-year-old man was taken to Kempsey Hospital for assessment under police guard.
The 26-year-old man was charged with three counts of discharge firearm intend cause grievous bodily harm, and three counts of fire firearm in or near public place.
He was refused bail to appear at Kempsey Local Court today (Friday 10 November 2023).
Investigations are continuing.
