Pinjarra gunman: Police block off Sibbald Street, flood town amid reports of man armed with firearm

A police manhunt is underway in the Peel region amid reports of a gunman on the loose.

Police flooded Pinjarra, about 84km south of Perth, after receiving “reports of a man armed with a firearm” about 11.40am on Tuesday.

The residential area around Wilson Road and Sibbald Street were locked down as heavily armed officers from WA Police’s tactical response group made their way to the back fence line of properties on Teague Street, which backs onto the local football oval.

The police helicopter appears to be concentrating its efforts above the residential area, which is just outside of the town centre.

One witness, who did not want to be named, described seeing a man run from a nearby property.

They said police quickly swarmed the area as the search intensified into the afternoon.

“It was like bobble heads in the backyard. There were cops in every backyard,” they said.

“They’ve got every street blocked off.”

WA Police issued the warning about 11.40am on Tuesday, urging anyone in the vicinity to follow the instructions of police in the area. St John WA has not been called to the scene.

“Further information will be provided as it comes to hand,” a police spokeswoman said.

A Shire of Murray spokeswoman said the shire had “secured its facilities as a precaution” amid the police response. That includes the Murray Aquatic and Leisure Centre, the Murray Library and the shire’s administration office.

It is the second gunman incident in a week after a man allegedly fled from a property north of Mullewa, in the Mid West, after a woman in her 40s was shot in the hand with a long-arm firearm last Wednesday. There is no information to suggest the two are linked.

A police manhunt for Kenneth John Giles, who is an experienced bushman, continues in the region, with extensive police resources allocated to the search.

The 58-year-old is believed to have fled eastwards in a white Nissan Patrol, registration 1BIY336. He is not a licensed firearms holder.