A 41-year-old Victorian man has been charged over an incident that allegedly led to a police officer’s gun “unintentionally” being fired near a cafe at Sydney Airport.
An airline reported that a man was acting suspiciously at the T2 Terminal check-in counters, outside gate 49, about 6am today.
Australian Federal Police alleged the man became verbally and physically aggressive with two responding officers.
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They allegedly tried to subdue him when a NSW Police officer and a retired NSW Police officer who were waiting to fly to Townsville, stepped in to help.
“We saw this fellow struggling with the two AFP officers. It’s gone to the ground,” retired officer William told 2GB.
As the man was being arrested, a federal police officer’s gun was discharged and hit the wall of a nearby cafe where staff members were working.
“The AFP officer’s long firearm has gone to the ground and was underneath the fellow as we went to restrain him. The shot has been discharged,” William said.
“The AFP firearm was unintentionally discharged.”
Images show a federal officer during the struggle moving the gun away out of reach.
Vision obtained by 2GB shows one officer sorting out the gun while others hold down the man.
AFP Acting Commander Scott Raven told reporters this afternoon the gun had been unintentionally discharged, but refused to divulge any more details on the incident.
“The circumstances of how the firearm, which was a short-barrelled rifle, was discharged and is now subject to an internal investigation,” he said.
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“Thankfully, there were no injuries as a result of the incident.”
Raven said he will look into the procedures and practices of how federal officers carry their firearms, but stood by the officers’ conduct.
”All our AFP officers are professional, highly trained and skilled officers, and as part of their duties here at all our airports, we have a counter-terrorism first response and that includes carrying short-barrelled firearms,” he said.
The man was taken to Mascot Police Station, where he was charged with creating a disturbance at an airport and obstructing/hindering/intimidating/resisting a Commonwealth official.
He was granted conditional bail and will appear at Downing Centre Local Court on September 1.
Raven said the man had also allegedly behaved poorly at the airport yesterday.
“We had dealt with him yesterday in relation to a number of things about his behaviour, and he left the airport,” he said.
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A crime scene was established and an investigation into the incident is under way.
Passengers are advised that there is no ongoing risk to the public and the situation has been resolved.
A Sydney Airport spokesperson said the airport is operating normally.
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