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A man has been charged after dramatic scenes in Melbourne’s CBD, where he was captured on CCTV walking with an imitation firearm and smoking a cigarette, moments before a chaotic police chase ended in his arrest.
Tactical police arrested the 48-year-old from Hoppers Crossing just after 8.45am on Tuesday in a laneway off Bourke Street, near Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar. The arrest followed a series of alleged carjackings in Tarneit and North Melbourne.
Witnesses saw police swarming down laneways, some in camouflage gear, and a man running through a building lobby, as Air Wing helicopters hovered overhead.
Speaking to reporters following the incident, Inspector Emma Lobb confirmed there was no ongoing risk to the public. The 48-year-old man was injured during the arrest and police recovered the imitation gun, which was first believed to be real.
He was later seen bloodied on a stretcher with non-life-threatening injuries.
By Tuesday evening, police had charged him with multiple offences, including attempted aggravated burglary, attempted aggravated carjacking, aggravated carjacking with an imitation firearm, assault, threats to kill, and possession of an imitation firearm.
Tactical police swooped on the man in a lane off Bourke Street, near Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar, following a string of alleged carjackings in Tarneit and North Melbourne.
He was remanded to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on October 15.
According to police, the man was initially on his way to a police station with his wife about 7.45am to make a complaint when their car ran out of fuel in Melbourne’s south-west.
“I’m not too sure what that complaint was about,” Lobb said.
He then became distressed and entered a convenience store at the intersection of Sayers and Tarneit roads in Hoppers Crossing, where he allegedly attempted to take a jerry can and assaulted a store attendant before fleeing. The attendant sustained minor injuries.
Police allege the man attempted to carjack a silver Honda Civic by pointing the imitation gun at a driver stopped at the intersection. They refused and ran to a nearby store.
He is then accused of pointing the imitation weapon at the head of a second driver in a white Mitsubishi wagon stopped at the same intersection. He drove away “erratically” in the wagon, leaving his wife and the car owner behind, both physically unharmed.
By that time, his wild driving had already attracted a police tail, Lobb said.
Police tracked the vehicle to Dryburgh Street in North Melbourne, where they allege say the man dumped it before carjacking another vehicle at gunpoint – this time stealing a silver Hyundai sedan.
The Hyundai was later dumped on Lonsdale Street just after 8.45am. Specialist officers moved in, arresting the suspect on Crossley Street after a brief foot chase.
CCTV from a nearby building captured the man walking calmly in a suit, holding the imitation gun and smoking moments before his arrest. Police were later seen scouring the area and collecting cigarette butts from the scene.
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The arrest came in the midst of a wild 24 hours on Melbourne’s roads. Two separate, unrelated car chases also unfolded as police tracked car thieves across north-west Melbourne on Monday night and Tuesday morning, arresting two other men.
Premier Jacinta Allan said she had confidence in Victoria Police to maintain safety in the CBD, highlighting the force’s new move to redirect more officers to the frontline.
Detective Senior Sergeant Luke Flint praised the coordinated police response, which led to the man’s arrest within an hour, with no serious injuries to officers or bystanders.
“However, it must be acknowledged that there were alleged victims and witnesses who will be significantly impacted by this,” he said.
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