Multiple people have been hurt in a rush hour stabbing incident in Melbourne’s central business district, police say, after they apprehended a suspect near a burning vehicle.
Multiple people were hurt in a rush hour stabbing incident in Melbourne’s central business district, police said on 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 centre at around 16:20 local time, as people began to leave work for the weekend.
« A man was arrested at the scene and has been taken to hospital under police guard in a critical condition. »
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.
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 hospital. »
Police warned people to avoid the area, but said they « are 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.
