Source : the age
The policeman who shot and killed a woman who rammed him with a car during an arrest in South Melbourne on Saturday night has been released from hospital, while a man arrested at the scene has been charged with weapons offences.
Police released the update on their investigation into the incident on Sunday morning as locals described the chaotic scene that unfolded on an inner-suburban street.
Police swarmed to the area near Park and Dow streets in South Melbourne late on Saturday.Credit: Nine News
Police said they were called to Cecil Street after reports a man was wielding a machete about 5pm on Saturday.
As the 39-year-old South Melbourne man was being arrested on nearby Dow Street, a dark-coloured SUV was driven at police, hitting a senior constable and pinning him against a wall in the narrow street, police said.
The policeman fired at the car four times, hitting the driver and her passenger.
The driver, a 34-year-old woman of no fixed address, died at scene, while the passenger, a 26-year-old St Kilda man, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The officer was taken to hospital with serious injuries to his legs but released on Saturday night after receiving treatment.
The 39-year-old man has been charged with possessing a prohibited weapon and theft of a bicycle. He was released on bail and is to appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on August 12.
Residents near Dow Street told The Age they were drawn out of their homes when they heard gunshots before police and ambulances descended on the street from every direction.
An image from police shows the officer lying on the ground after he had been hit by the SUV and shot the car’s occupants. Police have blurred the faces of the officers.Credit: Victoria Police
Alan Nightingale, who has lived in the street for 15 years, said it was like “all hell broke loose” after the sound of gunshots ricocheted into the street.
“It’s disconcerting … and pretty crazy for downtown Dow Street,” he said on Sunday morning.
“The officer was yelling out: ‘Get the car off me, get the car off me.’
“We do see drug deals getting done in the backstreets, and there’s been some assaults. But gunshots are a whole other level altogether.
“We do feel a bit less secure than we did two to three years ago.”
Video from inside Park Towers, seen by The Age, appears to show a man yelling while carrying a long knife and riding a scooter through the halls of the public-housing towers about 1.50pm on Saturday.
The corner of Church and Dow streets where a police officer was pinned against a wall by an SUV. Credit: Chris Hopkins
Karlos, who lives in the towers, said he was frightened and had an argument with the man through his flyscreen door before calling police.
“That’s my regret – not having followed it up harder with the police – because maybe it would have been enough to warrant them coming here and speaking to him instead,” he said. “I phone security here all the time and nothing happens.”
Karlos said the 39-year-old man and the 34-year-old woman were well known throughout Park Towers. He said residents were in a state of shock after the incident.
Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said the injured police officer was lucky not to have suffered more serious injuries while risking his life for the safety of the public.
“This is what our [police] members are dealing with on a regular occasion… confronted by people in vehicles like this. It can be not only life-altering, but it can end your life,” he said.
“There’s no magic wand for situations like this. When a car’s coming at you, there’s not a lot you can do it, and it is literally a case of do or die.
“We see this violence confronting our members quite regularly – it has been a trend that has increased significantly over the last seven or eight years.”
Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt speaks on Sunday. Credit: Chris Hopkins
Detectives are continuing to investigate the incident, with oversight from Professional Standards Command, which is standard procedure after a fatal police shooting.
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