Several people injured after car hits pedestrians in Australian city Melbourne

[webfact]

Several people injured after car hits pedestrians in Australian city Melbourne

REUTERS

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Several people were injured when a car hit pedestrians in the centre of Australia's second largest city Melbourne on Friday, emergency services said.

 

Local media reported that up to 12 people were injured and that the car had been driving erratically before the incident, which occurred during the city's busy lunchtime.

 

Local television screened live aerial video showing armed police at a central city intersection, along with several police cars blocking roads and paramedics.

 

Police have locked down the city and suspended tram services after the incident in the heart of the popular Bourke Street shopping mall area.

 

"The exact circumstances of the events are still being determined," police said in a statement posted on their official twitter account.

 

(Reporting By Jane Wardell, Jamie Freed and Tom Westbrook; Editing by Michael Perry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-01-20

[webfact]

Three dead, 20 injured after driver ploughs car into pedestrians in Australian city Melbourne

 

 

Members of the public watch as police and emergency services attend to an injured person after a car hit pedestrians in central Melbourne, Australia, January 20, 2017. AAP/Luke Costin/via REUTERS

 

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - A man deliberately drove into pedestrians, killing three and injuring at least 20 in the centre of Australia's second largest city Melbourne on Friday, but police said the lunch-time incident was not terror-related.

 

Video footage from a witness showed a maroon coloured car driving around in circles in an intersection outside Flinders St railway station in the city's central business district, with the driver hanging his arm out the window.

 

Two people approached the car, apparently trying to stop it.

 

"He was half hanging outside the car...he was just so reckless...he just didn't care," witness Laura Pollson told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

 

The man then drove up a pedestrian mall, deliberately ploughing into people, Victoria state police said. A shop video showed several people diving into a convenience store as the car sped along the footpath.

 

"A male deliberately drove into pedestrians in the Bourke Street mall, and we currently have three deceased and at least 20 injuries," Victoria Police acting commander Stuart Bateson told reporters.

 

"We have the offender in custody. There is no further threat to the public at this stage. I can also confirm that this is not a CT (counter-terrorism) related incident."

 

The incident was believed to be related to an overnight stabbing in the city, Bateson added.

 

Photographs published by local media showed a stationary, badly damaged car with a nearby man in red underwear pinned to the ground by police.

 

Witness Maria Kitjapanon told Melbourne's Age newspaper that the car was rammed by a police car and that police fired shots into the car before pulling the driver out.

 

"There were probably 10 police surrounding that guy's car, with guns drawn, and they fired into the car. Then they dragged someone out via the passengers side, then all 10 of them sat on top of him," she said.

 

Police have locked down the city and suspended tram services.

 

Melbourne is currently hosting the Australian Open tennis grand slam and is packed with thousands of extra tourists, only a few blocks from where the incident occurred. Police said the tennis tournament continued to operate as normal.

 

Australia, a staunch U.S. ally, has been on heightened alert for attacks by home-grown radicals since 2014 and authorities have said they have thwarted a number of plots. There have been several "lone wolf" assaults, including a 2014 cafe siege in Sydney that left two hostages and the gunman dead.

 

(Reporting by Tom Westbrook and Jamie Freed in Sydney, Sonali Paul in Melbourne; Writing by Michael Perry; Editing by Lincoln Feast)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-01-20

[Ron19]

Bourke St Mall carnage: Three confirmed dead and at least 20 injured

[Ron19]

 

[alocacoc]

3 minutes ago, kevkev1888 said:

 

This man must be mistaken, Allahu Akbar?

The incident was not believed to be terror-related, said Victoria Police Acting Commissioner Stuart Bateson.

 

 

I don't know about Australia. But when happen something like this in western Europe, the police every time says it wasn't a terror act.

[kevkev1888]

2 minutes ago, alocacoc said:

I don't know about Australia. But when happen something like this in western Europe, the police every time says it wasn't a terror act.

 

Indeed. I was trying to be sarcastic. 

[Prbkk]

Linked to an earlier stabbing in Windsor. Now a child is confirmed among the dead. Meanwhile repulsive grub Senator Leyonhjelm makes a pro-gun joke of it, just a disgrace 

[stevenl]

31 minutes ago, alocacoc said:

I don't know about Australia. But when happen something like this in western Europe, the police every time says it wasn't a terror act.

Nonsense, if it is a terror act it will be announced as one. But until it has been established to be one, it can of course not be announced to be one.

[alocacoc]

Looks like it was this guy;

 

https://www.facebook.com/S1KUNT

[Thechook]

The guy is greek and involed in a stabbing incident of a family member in Windsor approx 9 kms  from this scene.  The guy was be monitored by the police airwing as there was no pursuit.  The area has an extremely high pedestrian population and the Australian Open is 1km down the road and many international tourists in the area.

[simple1]

Just watched TV report on this incident.

 

Police are saying it is not identified as a terrorism related incident. The man is of Hellenic background and went on a killing spree after a fight with his brother. The killer was shot by police and now in custody. The guy is known to police for mental health, drugs & extreme family violence offences, plus the stabbing referred to above. Besides the three murdered, there are a number of people in critical condition in hospital, including young children.

 

 

http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/Three-dead-and-several-injured-after-car-runs-over-pedestrians-on-Bourke-Street

 

 

[RuamRudy]

1 minute ago, simple1 said:

Just watched TV report on this incident.

 

Police are saying it is not identified as a terrorism related incident. The man is of Hellenic background and went on a killing spree after a fight with his brother. The killer was shot by police and now in custody. The guy is known to police for mental health, drugs & family violence offences, plus the stabbing referred to above. Besides the three murdered, there are a number of people in critical condition in hospital, including young children.

 

 

 

http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/Three-dead-and-several-injured-after-car-runs-over-pedestrians-on-Bourke-Street

 

 

 

 

A very tragic event indeed. If you are correct about the driver's background, there will be some very disappointed posters on TV, reluctantly putting down their pitchforks.

[RuamRudy]

5 minutes ago, thai3 said:

Can't you be a Muslim from Greece then? No name or relgion given, even though they know the details

 

I think the point is, without the facts being known, it is both irresponsible and disrespectful to try to make political capital on it. Such a reaction is, however, highly predictable.

[SaintLouisBlues]

The facts are that a mentally ill** person stabbed his brother, got into a car and drove off. He was was then pursued by a police car (we all know how really grown up men without any testosterone problems love driving fast don't we?). As the police car drove faster the driver they were pursuing became more desperate, finally losing control of the car and driving into a large group of pedestrians. Result: multiple deaths caused by police exhuberance

 

** I acknowledge from other discussions that there are a group of TV posters who refuse to admit that mental illness exists, or if it exists is a mitigating factor, but there you are

[NumbNut]

8 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

 

I think the point is, without the facts being known, it is both irresponsible and disrespectful to try to make political capital on it. Such a reaction is, however, highly predictable.

 

Exactly RuamRudy. The ThaiVisa Rocket Surgeon's just can't help themselves mate... 

[SaintLouisBlues]

17 minutes ago, kkerry said:

Sometimes it helps if you pay attention to the news reports from where it happens... as that is not what happened at all.

It's certainly not the spin the police are putting on it, if that's what you mean

 

"Three people are dead and at least 25 have been hospitalised after a car ploughed through pedestrians in a high-speed police chase in the middle of Melbourne's CBD http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/live-pedestrians-hit-gunshots-heard-in-melbourne-cbd-20170120-gtvf3x.html

[ctrunfree]

3 minutes ago, SaintLouisBlues said:

It's certainly not the spin the police are putting on it, if that's what you mean

 

He didn't run down people in Bourke St Mall as part of a police pursuit.  The police abandoned the pursuit for safety reasons outside the CBD.  He then drove into town, did burnouts in front of Flinders St station, then sped down Bourke St Mall running over people as he went.

 

He was apparently out on bail on numerous charges. 

[SaintLouisBlues]

10 minutes ago, ctrunfree said:

He didn't run down people in Bourke St Mall as part of a police pursuit.  The police abandoned the pursuit for safety reasons outside the CBD.  He then drove into town, did burnouts in front of Flinders St station, then sped down Bourke St Mall running over people as he went.

 

He was apparently out on bail on numerous charges. 

I prefer to blame the police

[ctrunfree]

7 minutes ago, SaintLouisBlues said:

I prefer to blame the police

I'd prefer to blame the magistrate who bailed him...

[SaintLouisBlues]

8 minutes ago, ctrunfree said:

I'd prefer to blame the magistrate who bailed him...

Surely the bail laws are legislated by politicians. Magistrates don't have that much discretion

[ctrunfree]

Politicians are responsible for the Bail Act, but the act allows the court to decide if there are exceptional circumstances which would justify the granting of bail even in circumstances where legislation othewise denies it.

[Prbkk]

11 minutes ago, ctrunfree said:

I'd prefer to blame the magistrate who bailed him...

 

And it is an enormous frustration to the police: there is some discretion for magistrates and it is exercised, particularly when there are mental health issues involved and being treated.

[alocacoc]

1 hour ago, thai3 said:

Can't you be a Muslim from Greece then? No name or relgion given, even though they know the details

He stated on his FB pages he's a Yazdani.

 

 

Yazdânism, or the Cult of Angels, is a pre-Islamic, native religion of the Kurds.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yazdânism

[thai3]

1 hour ago, RuamRudy said:

 

I think the point is, without the facts being known, it is both irresponsible and disrespectful to try to make political capital on it. Such a reaction is, however, highly predictable.

 

The facts ate know man of Greek extraction screaming in arabic mows down innocent people including a little kid. The Police immediately claim it's not connected to terrorism, well they always say that.

[Argus Tuft]

2 hours ago, alocacoc said:

Looks like it was this guy;

 

https://www.facebook.com/S1KUNT

 

If you ever wanted to see the ugly side of keyboard vigilante commenting - Australian style - scroll down to his most recent post in all caps ( I DECLARE WAR ON TYRANNY etc etc)

 

and have a look at the absolute vitriolic hate spewing forth from the Aussie Facebook Netizens.  

 

Reading the comments there makes me feel that the Thai Visa keyboard warriors are all friendly flower people on comparison...

 

 

[Argus Tuft]

7 minutes ago, thai3 said:

 

The facts ate know man of Greek extraction screaming in arabic mows down innocent people including a little kid. The Police immediately claim it's not connected to terrorism, well they always say that.

 

Where has it been confirmed that he was screaming in Arabic, or what he was actually saying??

[simple1]

35 minutes ago, thai3 said:

 

The facts ate know man of Greek extraction screaming in arabic mows down innocent people including a little kid. The Police immediately claim it's not connected to terrorism, well they always say that.

 

Currently no mention in media reporting of screaming in Arabic. Rather witnesses saying shouting in English about aliens and other delusional stuff. Latest media reporting police again clearly state not terrorism related, but criminal & connected to domestic issues i.e. the police informant regards his latest domestic violence matter was his brother whom he stabbed, took a female 'hostage', she escaped in heavy traffic then he headed to the city centre where he completely lost the plot...

[alocacoc]

10 minutes ago, simple1 said:

 

Currently no mention in media reporting of screaming in Arabic. Rather witnesses saying shouting in English about aliens and other delusional stuff. Latest media reporting police again clearly state not terrorism related, but criminal & connected to domestic issues i.e. the police informant regards his latest domestic violence matter was his brother whom he stabbed, took a female 'hostage', she escaped in heavy traffic then he headed to the city centre where he completely lost the plot...

 

Before that;

 

The car Mr Gargasoulas allegedly used to mow down pedestrians belonged to 76-year-old Gavin Wilson, who lives at the housing commission flats.

 

He said he came into his flat with a Bible, sat down and started burning it before throwing the burning book into his face.

"I flicked it onto the floor then he stood up and punched me," Mr Wilson said.

 

He said Mr Gargasoulas then attacked him. "Give me your keys or I'll gouge your eyes out," Mr Gargasoulas allegedly demanded. 

 

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/bourke-street-mall-driver-identified-as-james-jimmy-gargasoulas-20170120-gtvs2m.html

[Prbkk]

49 minutes ago, Argus Tuft said:

 

Where has it been confirmed that he was screaming in Arabic, or what he was actually saying??

 

He seems to shout out "Allah Akbar" ( or whatever) when doing the wheelies outside the station, but you have to listen carefully as this recording it are speaking at the same time.

[Prbkk]

And that part of Bourke Street Mall could not be blocked with bollards in the light of the incidents in Nice and Berlin, as many in Europe and the UK have been, because it is a double tram track