A man purportedly wielding a gun embarked on a carjacking spree throughout Melbourne during peak hour traffic, narrowly avoiding pedestrians and instilling fear among stunned bystanders for their safety.
The mayhem unfolded when the man, reportedly en route to a police station, ran out of fuel in Tarneit, located in Melbourne’s western region, around 7:45 am on Tuesday.
According to police reports, the man visited a nearby convenience store, grabbed a jerry can, and tried to procure fuel before assaulting the store attendant.
He then allegedly carjacked several vehicles in Tarneit and North Melbourne before making his way to the CBD, sparking a dramatic police chase.
Petrified onlookers recounted how the man sounded his horn, shouted at people to clear the way, and ‘nearly hit many individuals’ as he raced through the crowded city streets.
‘He almost hit this old lady – I had to grab her and move her out the way,’ one told Sky News.
‘He was beeping and yelling at everyone to get out of the way. He almost hit a lot of people.’
A police helicopter circled above the CBD while specialist officers closed in on the suspect, who was seen strolling nonchalantly down a laneway, cigarette in one hand and a firearm in the other.
CCTV vision depicted the suspect casually walking down a city street carrying a firearm while smoking a cigarette
Heavily armed police moved into arrest the suspect in the Melbourne CBD shortly before 9am
The suspect (pictured) was transported to Royal Melbourne Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries
Heavily armed officers sporting camouflage gear were spotted maneuvering down a side street, eventually confronting the individual at a hotel in a lane off Bourke Street, one of Melbourne’s busiest pathways.
A firearm was allegedly seized at the scene.
Photos showed the suspect covered in blood being led away in handcuffs to a nearby ambulance.
He was transported to Royal Melbourne Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, where he remains under assessment.
He has since been taken into custody. No charges have yet been laid
Other witnesses claimed the man brandishing his weapon at shocked guests and staff at the hotel shortly before his arrest.
‘He sort of ran through the foyer, and then he sort of ran out the back,’ a hotel worker told the Herald Sun
‘I was coming out of the bathroom, and then I just saw him … waving the gun at me, and I just took off, yeah, through the foyer.
‘He was just sort of waving and screaming, it was very scary.’
The suspect has since been taken into custody to be interviewed by detectives
Police allege the man’s wild Grand Theft Auto-style morning began after he ran out of petrol while travelling with his wife.
‘He carjacked a vehicle and headed into North Melbourne, where he took another car before entering the CBD,’ Acting Inspector Emma Lobb told reporters.
‘He dumped that vehicle around Lonsdale Street. Our Critical Incident Response Team and SOG safely secured the arrest. There was a firearm on the male, however it has been recovered and there are no ongoing threats to the public.’
The latest incident comes just days after terrified lunchtime shoppers in Bourke Street were forced to run for their lives after an allegedly stolen SUV struck a pedestrian while being chased by police.
Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan has since assured that ‘the CBD of Melbourne is safe’.
‘The Victorian community has that protection from Victoria Police,’ she told reporters on Tuesday.
‘As we saw this morning, Victoria Police moved swiftly, dealt with this situation quickly.’
Police investigate the laneway near where the man was arrested
Asked whether she understood why some Victorians didn’t feel safe in the CBD, Premier Allan said: ‘I can understand for those in the area this morning, it would have been a concern.’
‘I do understand that when incidents do occur, it would be incredibly distressing to either the witness to those sort of instances or indeed … if that happened to you more directly.’
