No conspiracy to ambush police
Police donāt believe Melbourne terror suspect Numan Haider was conspiring with others to ambush police.
Deputy Commissioner Graham Ashton said there were some young males in Haiderās presence before he attacked two officers and was then fatally shot on Tuesday night.
But police said it was a āmovingā investigation and it was not their theory that there was a conspiracy to ambush the officers.
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āWe havenāt ruled anything in or out,ā Mr Ashton told reporters on Friday.
āItās not our prevailing theory this was an ambush.ā
Mr Ashton said Australian Federal Police were looking into whether Haider searched for Prime Minister Tony Abbottās next visit to Melbourne and his movements.
He said he could not confirm or deny if that had happened, but said the AFP did not have any specific information about threats to Mr Abbott.
Itās too early in the investigation to rule out further arrests, he said.
Mr Ashton said Haiderās family were in shock and had been co-operating and will continue to co-operate with police.
They also wanted answers as to why the 18-year-old became radicalised, he said.
Mr Ashton said the investigation, expected to go on for months, will focus on what motivated Haider.
āOver the coming days and weeks we will talk to many people to find out what motivated him,ā he said.
āWeāll certainly be alleging this young man attacked police and police officers resorted to lethal force in their defence.ā
Haider, a known terror suspect, was fatally shot outside Endeavour Hills police station after stabbing two officers on Tuesday night. His passport was cancelled on security grounds last week.
Police say counter-terrorism officers had been aware of Mr Haider for about three months, and had invited him to the station after becoming concerned about his behaviour.
Mr Ashton said police are not currently working on any direct threat in regard to community safety or any individual.
Chief Commissioner Ken Lay said there have been instances where Muslims have been insulted about their garb or threatened.
Those incidents had not been officially reported to police and it was ānot huge numbersā, he said.
He urged members of the community who have experienced such abuse to report it to police.
āMembers of the faith community need to have the confidence to bring it to Victoria Police,ā he said.
āThese are crimes we donāt want happening in the community at this difficult time.ā
One of the injured officers has left hospital, but the other needs more treatment.
āTheir health is improving and their spirits are good,ā Mr Ashton said.
āBut certainly they are devastated that this young man is dead.ā
Mr Ashton said the officers were visited by a representative of the Islamic community in hospital.
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