Police raids in the Sydney suburb of Auburn last night led to a bottle-throwing stand-off between locals and officers.
The raids were carried out by the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad following a shooting incident in the western suburb over the weekend which saw a 23-year-old man admitted to Auburn hospital with gunshot wounds to his chest.
Overnight, police raided 3 separate households on the same street which saw local residents rally together to confront the officers. An estimated crowd of 150 people assembled within minutes of the raids, in which one man was arrested following for assaulting an officer. Police Inspector Mick Reynolds claimed the arrest of the man, who punched the officer in the face, set mobile phones ringing and tongues wagging in the area.
Police cordoned off the area and backup was called for following the arrest as police executed the search warrants, during which time bottles and rocks were thrown at them. This prompted the Riot Squad to be called in, along with a police dog unit and helicopter team. Inspector Reynolds confirmed that batons were produced by officers but not used, and that the injured officer was transported to a local hospital where he later received stitches.
Police Superintendent Ken McKay, speaking after the incident, denied reports that the fifty-odd officers were heavy-handed and refuted any claims of racism, stating that those who hid in the crowd and threw projectiles were nothing more than cowards. Two men and one woman were arrested during the searches which uncovered ecstasy, cannabis, guns and a large quantity of cash.