Local media showed video footage of a large man in a dark tunic slashing and stabbing wildly at two police officers as the vehicle burned, before being shot with a weapon.
Screengrab of Melbourne stabbing incident (Twitter/@fayfayang)
One person was killed and multiple people were hurt in a rush hour stabbing incident in Melbourne’s central business district, police said Friday after they apprehended a suspect near a burning vehicle.
Victoria Police said officers “initially responded to a report of a car on fire” in the city center at around 4:20 pm local time, as people began to leave work for the weekend.
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“A man was arrested at the scene and has been taken to hospital under police guard in a critical condition.”
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Local media showed video footage of a large man in a dark tunic slashing and stabbing wildly at two police officers as the vehicle burned, before being shot with a weapon.
On Bourke St. Roads blocked. pic.twitter.com/wimeJLNXWy
— mike yang (@fayfayang) November 9, 2018
Paramedics said they assessed three people at the scene, one with a neck injury: “They are in a suspected critical condition.”
“A second person has been taken to hospital with a head injury. Condition not yet known. A third person has also been taken to the hospital.”
Chaos in #bourkest as a guy seems to have set his car on fire then attacked police with a knife. Police response was swift and overwhelming. I heard at least one gunshot initially. pic.twitter.com/j5BB8VVehI
— Meegan May (@meegslouise) November 9, 2018
Police warned people to avoid the area, but said they “were not looking for anyone further at this early stage.”
“The exact circumstances are yet to be determined at this stage. The area has been cordoned off,” police said.
Police said that there were no known links to terrorism at this time.
“Three people have been stabbed, unfortunately, one of them is deceased at the scene. There are no known links to terrorism at this stage we will keep an open mind,” Superintendent David Clayton told the media.
(With agency inputs)
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