A couple will appear before court charged with threatening police after a scheduled firearms audit on a regional property turned into a “high-risk” incident involving STAR Group officers this morning.
Key points:
- Police attended the property for a routine firearms audit on Thursday morning
- After threats were made, STAR Group officers and negotiators were called in
- A man and a woman, believed to be a couple, were arrested and charged
Just after midday on Thursday, SA Police (SAPOL) said officers had responded to an incident at Sandy Creek, about 7 kilometres east of Gawler and 55 kilometres north-east of Adelaide.
Speaking at the Gawler Police Station, Chief Inspector Lauren Leverington said officers had attended a property on Mugge Road for a “routine firearms audit” about 7:30am.
ABC News: Eric Tlozek
)“With the assistance of STAR Group officers and negotiators, four people were safely detained at the scene.”
ABC News
)A 41-year-old man and 42-year-old woman, both of Sandy Creek, were arrested and charged with making unlawful threats and firearms offences.
They are expected to appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Friday.
Inspector Leverington said the other two people at the property were spoken to by police but had not committed any offences, so were released at the scene.
Signage could be seen on the property’s gates claiming that it was a “private sovereign property” and that “government funded agencies” were banned from entering.
It read “prosecution will be onsite using common and natural law”.
Another sign read that no entry was permitted to anyone “working for or loyal to the satanic state”.
ABC News: Eric Tlozek
)Barossa Valley Way was closed between Williamstown Road and Kalperri Road, but had since reopened.
“We had a lot of police in the area this morning, and there is no further risk to the community,” Inspector Leverington said.
She said a search of the property was still underway and would not say whether any items had been seized.
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