Police believe a man who allegedly held up a Busselton firearms dealer and allegedly stole a rifle and ammunition is a local.
Key points:
- WA Police believe the alleged armed robber is from the South West region
- The man, believed to be in his 20s, allegedly stole a rifle and ammunition from a firearm store on Thursday
- Police continue to appeal to the public for help to identify the suspect
The incident occurred just before 9am on Thursday and WA police have been searching for the suspect, believed to be in his 20s.
Acting Detective Inspector for the South West John Harty told ABC Radio on Friday that police had a good indication the offender was a local.
“He hasn’t been identified [but] there are certain indicators that he is a local, living somewhere between Capel and Margaret River, but we don’t who he is,” he said.
Acting Detective Inspector Harty said, while police were still looking for the man, there was still a concern for the community’s safety.
“It’s very concerning for the public — it’s also concerning for him. We do have concerns for his welfare as well,” he said.
“Anybody who is out and about in the public with an unlicensed firearm who has threatened to perhaps hurt someone or self-harm — we want to find them as quickly as possible. We don’t want any harm to come to him or anyone else.”
Acting Detective Inspector Harty has again appealed to the public to look at the photos of the man and to contact them if they know who he is.
The firearm store’s security vision shows a man wearing a black baseball cap and holding a handgun. The man was also wearing a blue long-sleeved top over a white shirt and black shorts.
The suspect allegedly stole a long-armed rifle and ammunition and fled in a silver vehicle, thought to be a Holden Commodore wagon or similar.
If you have any information contact police immediately on 131 444.