Two people have been taken into police custody at around 11:10am this morning following a shooting incident reported earlier this morning.

This incident unfolded in the early hours of this morning during an operation to recover the stolen motor vehicle in the Highlands Lakes area. As police moved in to apprehend the offenders, who were still in the vehicle, they were alerted to the police presence and drove off.

The vehicle was subsequently spiked on Arthurs Lakes Road and followed onto Poatina Road. Shortly afterwards it crashed. As police approached the vehicle they were fired upon. Gunshot peppered the driver’s side door and smashed the driver’s window of the police vehicle but the officer was not injured. As a second police vehicle approached, that was also fired upon.

Police retreated and established a cordon around the offenders.

The offenders will be transported back to Launceston Headquarters and it is expected they will face court later today.