Tough First Week for NEW SENIOR SERGEANT TARASINSKI as ARRESTS and FIREARMS are SEIZED in Ongoing Operations

violence will not be tolerated


Article heading image for Tough First Week for NEW SENIOR SERGEANT TARASINSKI as ARRESTS and FIREARMS are SEIZED in Ongoing Operations

It’s been a ‘baptism of fire’ for Esperance’s new Officer in Charge, Senior Sergeant Justin Tarasinkski in his first full week at the post.

Senior Sergeant Tarasinski made the move to Esperance from Laverton Police Station (Senior Officer in Charge) last Monday and was faced with a difficult circumstance last Saturday night when a crowd of 150 people began brawling and inciting violence outside the Esperance Football Club on Simms Street.

Fortunately for the Esperance Police Force, including Mr. Tarasinski, a tip off from colleagues to the north had been received earlier that week and support had made the trip down the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway for the weekend. Without the reinforcements it was more than likely local police would have been overwhelmed by agitated mob.

Every available police officer in town, including the Mr. Tarasinski himself, was called out to help subdue the crowd across the two incidents at Pink Lake and later at a household in Sinclair.

The ongoing feud has existed for at least five years and is predominantly between two warring families. Saturday’s violence erupted after carload crashed the Esperance Football Club’s post-season celebrations searching for one particular man. When the foot club people resisted, more cars were sent for and the situation escalated quickly from that moment.

Civilians reported seeing metal pipes, crowbars, baseball bats and boomerangs amongst the weapons in the brawling crowd. One Esperance Football Club man received injuries to the head. Others were chased. Several firearms were present at the scene. Both police officers and innocent nearby residents were alarmed.

Officers must be credited for defusing the situation, with no serious injuries sustained throughout the pandemonium despite the threat of violence.

Since that night the Esperance Police Force have been busy at work investigating the instigators to the violence and the individuals who had brought and yielded weapons. Senior Officers from Kalgoorlie have been brought in to assist the investigations.

As of Thursday, eight persons had been charged and seven firearms, licenced shotguns and rifles, had been seized by police.

Hear the full story of the investigation and arrests at the following audio with Senior Sergeant Tarasinski on the Breaky Show

Officers have spoken to the families involved and have warned that any further retaliation or violent action would be met with severe repercussions. While some in the public are concerned of a flareup of rage between the feuding clans Senior Sergeant Tarasinski and his crew are confident their message, that this sort of behaviour would not be tolerated in Esperance, had been heard.

The police do implore if you do see any suspicious behaviour please contact the police immediately on…

And for Senior Sergeant Tarasinski? Well, surely it gets easier from here!

Sean Lindsay

6 September 2019

Article by:

Sean Lindsay




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