An innocent father at the centre of a terrifying siege choked back tears as he recounted the moment he discovered a stranger in his house who allegedly threatened his life.
The man and his one-year-old baby were held inside their home in Melbourne’s west for hours on Tuesday, November 12, after a 26-year-old Snake Valley man fleeing police broke into the property.
“One of my daughter’s bedrooms was locked and I tried to open (it),” the man, identified as Ali, told reporters on Wednesday.
“I heard a noise that someone’s inside, then saying, I have a gun, I’ll kill you if you come inside. He was threatening me.
“Imagine someone next to you with a gun.”
The ordeal started when the 26-year-old, who is known to police, allegedly carjacked a woman in Snake Valley in western Victoria about 2.30pm on Tuesday.
He led police on a chase to Melton in Melbourne’s outer west where he unsuccessfully attempted to carjack another vehicle.
The man was tracked to the neighbouring suburb of Weir Views where he was confronted by officers patrolling for him.
He allegedly fired a shot from a high-powered rifle at police but did not injure them.
The offender then broke into a house on Leon Drive occupied by the father and his baby and held them inside for two-and-a-half hours.
Special Operations Group and the critical incident response team negotiated with the offender while communicating with the father, Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Cruse said.
“Throughout the negotiations, we attempted for him to surrender and put the firearm down,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
“We provided safe passage for that to occur. That did not occur prior to the incident unfolding.”
Officers negotiated for the father to get out of the house through the front window just after 6pm on Tuesday.
As the rescue was happening, another shot was fired inside the home, leading police to enter.
It is alleged the man then fired a shot at officers and they returned fire.
“(Officers) were able to deploy a police dog and the male offender was taken down and arrested,” Superintendent Cruse said.
“It’s extremely lucky (that no officers were injured), and the offending is very serious, and it’s completely unacceptable that police members were exposed to this kind of danger.”
Asked about reports the man was in the backyard jumping on a trampoline before police intervened, Superintendent Cruse said there was a period of time where he was behaving erratically.
The man was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital after being treated for a dog bite, with police expecting him to interviewed and charged once he is discharged.
Police are supporting the victims who were uninjured.
“Investigators will make sure they get referrals and they’re OK, but undoubtedly, it is a terrifying incident – very, very traumatic – and we’ll need to support them through this,” Superintendent Cruse said.
