Eight juveniles have been arrested in Western Australia’s north after a crime spree in Kununurra, with a video of an allegedly stolen vehicle chasing a police car posted online.
Police said they were investigating a string of incidents that occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning in the East Kimberley town, about 3,000 kilometres north of Perth.
They said two Landcruisers and a Toyota Prado were stolen and driven recklessly, including at police cars, forcing officers to stop the pursuit.
The vehicles were taken from a commercial premises on Poincettia Way and an apartment complex on Victoria Highway.
Police say they were chased by allegedly stolen vehicles on Wednesday morning. (Supplied: Facebook)
Police chased in stolen cars
Police said they were called to the intersection of Weaber Plain Road and Barringtonia Avenue at 2am, and activated their emergency lights and sirens, but the drivers of the stolen cars did not stop.
Instead, they continued driving dangerously and chased the police cars, a spokesperson said.
Police said they repeatedly tried to intercept the stolen cars in a pursuit that lasted about three hours, but were forced to abandon the exercise as the cars were driven erratically, endangering the public and officers.
They said the juveniles eventually exited the cars and tried to flee on foot, but were arrested shortly after.
Four Kimberley juveniles are set to appear in court following the Kununurra incidents. (ABC Kimberley: Rebecca Nadge)
Four of the juveniles arrested will appear in court at a later date, while the others have been referred to the Juvenile Justice team.
A recurring issue
Vehicle thefts have been a recurring issue in the East Kimberley, with videos of stolen cars and police pursuits posted on the internet, sometimes by the perpetrators themselves.
The latest widely-circulated video shows a police car with its lights and sirens on being followed at speed by a ute.
Rock barriers aiming to protect pedestrians and police from dangerous stolen vehicles had been erected at key intersections, but the shire had to remove them last year after a dispute with their insurer.
Police said the investigation into Wednesday’s string of incidents was ongoing and urged anyone with information to contact them.