A man will appear in court today to face multiple charges after a two-hour police pursuit which saw shots fired, a Taser used and a final arrest in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains.
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The pursuit began in Lalor Park, near Blacktown, in Sydney, and led to shots being fired at the car by police after an officer was allegedly hit by the car as the driver accelerated.
The man has been refused bail and will appear in Blacktown Local Court today, Friday July 14.
The police operation started in western Sydney just after 8.15am on July 13. Blacktown Police officers received information allegedly relating to suspicious activity after a man was reported to be swapping number plates on a black Holden Commodore sedan.
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Police found the sedan travelling on Freeman Street, Lalor Park, about 9.30am and - when the driver failed to stop as directed - a police pursuit started.
Traffic and Highway Patrol Command and PolAir, were called in as the car headed east through multiple nearby suburbs. Officers allegedly tried to stop the car a second time - about 10.40am - as it approached Winston Hills.
Police said a senior constable, attached to the Raptor Squad, grabbed the slowing vehicle, the driver allegedly accelerated, and the officer was flung across the bonnet of a nearby police car. Police fired shots towards the car as it was driving away.
A short time later, a 21-year-old passenger left the car and was immediately arrested, with the driver fleeing the scene, heading north on Old Windsor Road. The passenger was taken to Blacktown Police Station where he has been released without charge, police said in a statement on July 14.
The driver travelled west onto the M7 before continuing onto the M4 and the Great Western Highway.
Road spikes at Springwood, community at risk
Road spikes were deployed unsuccessfully at Springwood about 11.15am, and the car continued west on the highway with PolAir monitoring, police said.
"He crossed on to the wrong side of the road, he drove on foot paths and put the community at risk," Acting Assistant Commissioner David Waddell told reporters of the incident.
After getting stuck in traffic past Katoomba, the driver did a U-turn and began heading east on the highway.
Specialist operatives from the Tactical Operations Unit did a high-risk vehicle stop about 11.40am, stopping the car on the highway, near Woodlands Road in Katoomba. They deployed a Taser to make the arrest of the driver, also aged 21, police said.
The man was assessed by ambulance paramedics and then taken to Katoomba Hospital under police guard.
The Raptor Squad Officer was assessed by paramedics and taken to Westmead Hospital for treatment and has since been released.
The driver was released from Katoomba Hospital and taken to Katoomba Police Station where he was charged with multiple offences including:
- police pursuit - not stop - drive dangerously,
- drive motor vehicle during disqualification period,
- drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous,
- use offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention and
- dishonestly obtain property by deception.
Traffic was banked up from Wentworth Falls to Katoomba for several hours after the arrest, with more than three kilometres of gridlock on the highway.
Commissioner Waddell said the circumstances regarding the shots fired by police during the pursuit will be subject to investigation.
"We will obviously investigate two things: one the criminal offences and also the actions on our police," he said.
"There is footage and we will review that footage."
Three officers in total were taken to hospital, one with a shoulder injury and two with minor injuries.
The dramatic police chase came just one day after NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley visited Katoomba.
- Anyone with information about the incident - including dash-cam or other vision - is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.
