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A police officer who was shot dead at a rural property in Tasmania while delivering a home repossession order has been formally identified.
Constable Keith Anthony Smith, 57, was killed on Monday as he approached the house at North Motton in the state’s north-west.
A 46-year-old man, the resident of the property, remains under police guard in hospital, but is yet to be charged.
Tasmania Police released Smith’s name on Tuesday morning with permission from his family.
Throughout his 25 years of service, he was esteemed as a committed and respected police officer.
Tasmania Police commissioner Donna Adams said: “Keith was a respected and committed officer, and his loss will be deeply felt across our policing family and the wider community.”
“My heart goes out to Keith’s wife and family,” she said.
“We will be supporting them in every way we can during this incredibly difficult time.
“The blue family will unite today and continue to do so in the coming days and weeks. [We] will provide support to the family and among ourselves.”
Smith, a passionate cyclist, had worked at the nearby Ulverstone Police Station for the past five years, having joined the force in 2000.
He received the Commissioner’s Medal in 2011, a 20-year clasp in 2021, and the National Police Service Medal in 2016.
“While no other staff have been injured in this terrible incident, all will be impacted by their involvement in such a tragic event,” Adams said.
Smith was at the house with another experienced frontline officer, accompanied by a supporting team of three specialist operations group officers stationed at the driveway.
Adams described the delivery of the court-ordered home repossession order as “routine”.
The matter is being investigated by police professional standards and the coroner.
The alleged offender was shot in the hand by one of the specialist operations group and then surrendered, police said.
