4 weeks ago
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A man has been charged after an incident at Sydney airport this morning that involved a police gun being discharged inside the T2 domestic terminal.
The Australian federal police said a Victorian man, 41, was arrested at Sydney airport on Wednesday morning after behaving suspiciously at a check-in counter.
The man became aggressive towards police and a short-barrel rifle was unintentionally discharged during his arrest, the AFP acting commander Scott Raven told reporters.
“The AFP officers approached the man after 6am following a report of suspicious behaviour. We allege the man became verbally and physically aggressive towards AFP officers before he was able to be placed under arrest,” he said.
“During his arrest, the AFP firearm was unintentionally discharged. The circumstances of how the firearm, which was a short-barrelled rifle, was discharged is now subject to an internal investigation.”
He said the bullet had lodged in an oven in a cafe a metre from where the gun was fired.
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In a statement, the AFP said the man’s alleged aggressiveness towards police created a volatile situation.
“Thankfully, there were no injuries as a result of the incident,” Raven said.
He did not confirm whether the man was a passenger or held a boarding pass.
Footage from the scene shared by Sydney radio station 2GB via social media shows an individual on the ground, close to cafe serving and dining areas, being restrained by at least three others. A man can be heard shouting in the video.
An armed police officer can be seen assisting in the restraint of the individual.
Earlier, the AFP confirmed it had launched an investigation into the incident and a crime scene was established. There was no ongoing threat to the public.
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An airport spokesperson said there were no injuries and the airport was not locked down. The facility was operating as normal after the incident was resolved.
“Sydney airport is currently assisting Australian federal police following an incident earlier this morning,” the spokesperson said.
“No injuries occurred as a result of the incident. An arrest has been made and the airport is operating normally.”
The man was charged with one count of obstructing a commonwealth official and one count of creating a disturbance at an airport.
He was taken to Mascot police station and granted conditional bail. He is scheduled to appear before Downing Centre local court on 1 September.
