SYDNEY, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- A man has been shot dead by police after a dramatic hour-long shootout in Australia on Wednesday evening, which saw multiple officers rushed to hospital.
Declaring a critical incident, New South Wales State Police said in a statement that the wild scenes unfolded at around 9:15 p.m. local time when a number of gunshots were fired into the front of St Marys Police Station in Western Sydney.
"Shortly after, about 9:35 p.m., a vehicle stopped outside Penrith Police Station where a man, who was armed with a pump-action 12 gauge shotgun, approached a police vehicle and fired a number of shots at police officers," the statement said.
"A male constable received pellet wounds to the back of the head. He was taken to Westmead Hospital with non life-threatening injuries. Several other officers sustained minor non gunshot-related injuries."
Capturing the incident from a building across the street, a woman filmed the moment when police returned fire on the armed man.
A social media post shows a gunman dressed in dark color falling to the ground in a barrage of bullets as witnesses scream out.
Although the motive and identity of the gunman are not yet known, police said early investigations suggest the two shootings may be linked to an earlier incident where a number of shots were fired into a home on Quakers Road, Marayong, about 8:45 p.m. local time.
An independent review will now be conducted into the matter.
