A man wanted for questioning over a stabbing on Saturday morning led police on a dramatic car chase that witnesses say culminated in a shooting in inner city Sydney.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Stunned onlookers described how a police officer pulled out "some kind of gun" and fired at the car outside Surry Hills police station on Saturday afternoon.
The driver then reportedly threw his hands into the air and was dragged from the car onto the ground, where he was arrested.
Police said neither live rounds nor rubber bullets were fired. They would not confirm what was shot at the windscreen of the car.
@Smh shooting Surry hills pic.twitter.com/UqLsp996MA — SydneyChicBlogger (@DebCarrNetwork) November 1, 2014
The man sparked a lengthy police pursuit after he allegedly left a Kensington apartment unit where a 30-year-old woman was stabbed multiple times about 7.30am.
Police said the man was wanted for questioning over the stabbing and was spotted in a white BMW sedan in Mortdale about two hours later.
He led police on a chase along the M5, M7 and the M2 before road spikes ripped into the tyres of his car on the Gore Hill Freeway.
The pursuit continued at a low speed across the Harbour Bridge, through the city and then to Surry Hills police station in Goulburn Street.
UPDATE: A white BMW sedan is heading east on Sydney's M2 towards Seven Hills at high speeds as police pursue. #9News pic.twitter.com/5pvdu1tSON — Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) October 31, 2014
Tom Telfer, who was exercising in a nearby park, said the driver was looking "relaxed".
"He was driving real slow, he was on the phone, he was looking pretty relaxed, he was looking around," Mr Telfer said.
"We thought he was trying to get out of the way of police and then we realised they were chasing him. There were probably about 20 cars."
Witnesses said that as the driver came close to the station, a police van smashed into the front of his car.
"A police officer leaned out of the window with a big shot gun and shot twice at the windscreen. Then they just dragged him out. I saw them shoot twice through the window," Mr Telfer said.
Another witness, who asked not to be named, said he watched the dramatic scenes unfold from his balcony opposite the station.
"Basically they were following the car up Goulburn Street but they were going quite slow and just as they got to the front of the police station, police smashed into the front of the car," the witness said.
"At that point an officer came out of the passenger side of the window with some kind of gun and there were shots fired into the windscreen.
"I think he shot about three times then the guy actually put his hands up and then after that they kind of dragged him out."
Another witness, Kathy Kiernan, said she was on her way to a wedding when she was blocked from going on to the Harbour Bridge.
"A police car went past us at high speed about 15 kilometres before the bridge, not long after the start of the M2, then a white BMW screamed past us followed by at least eight police cars. Then we were held up on the bridge," Ms Kiernan said.
Police said a 33-year-old man was arrested and was assisting police with their inquiries.
The woman who was stabbed was taken to St Vincent's Hospital where she is in a serious but stable condition. Police said the stabbing was a domestic violence incident.
National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service: 1800 737 732
Men’s Referral Service: 1300 766 491