Two charged over Greenvale police car ramming, supermarket ram raids
Two men have been charged over Thursday’s early-morning crime spree involving two ram raids and a police car ramming, which saw officers shoot one suspect in Melbourne’s north.
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A Cobram man has been charged over an early-morning crime spree in Melbourne’s northern suburbs early Thursday.
The 27-year-old man was charged overnight with two counts of burglary, theft of a motor vehicle, possessing cartridge ammunition and possessing a commercial quantity of a drug of dependence, namely 1-4 Butanol.
Another man, also in his 20s, remains in hospital under police guard after being shot by police in the abdomen.
Australian Federal Police officers allegedly came under fire when they aproached a vehicle in Providence Rd, Greenvale, about 4.50am. The officers returned fire, injuring a man.
AFP professional standards will compile a critical incident report.
The string of incidents began when a dark-coloured Nissan Navara attempted to tow an ATM from Rosenhal Woolworths in Sunbury about 3.50am yesterday.
The failed crime spree continued when the alleged offenders unsuccessfully ram raided Claudio’s IGA in Westmeadows with a bobcat, hoping to score an ATM in the foyer about 4.40am.
Maurice Lulianella said he was “pissed off” his family run business had been targeted and it would amount to tens of thousands of dollars lost.
“It is half a day’s takings we are losing,” he said.
The offenders fled in their getaway vehicle to Felix Lane in Greenvale when they were followed and cornered in by a divvy van.
CCTV footage obtained by the Herald Sun captures the Nissan Navara narrowly scrape past the police car, intentionally reverse back and ram it, before speeding off.
A second vehicle believed to be a dark-coloured Volkswagen which currently remains on Providence Rd then sped off after the ramming.
Felix Lane resident Mustafa Filiz said he heard “car skidding sounds” so he “didn’t think much of it” only to later discover a police car had been rammed meters from his home.
“It makes me uncomfortable,” he said.
The Navara was dumped in nearby Elphinstone Boulevard in Greenvale and was set on fire, with neighbours describing the Navara as “exploding heavily” before becoming fully engulfed in flames.
The Armed Crime Squad is investigating and anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Originally published as Two charged over Greenvale police car ramming, supermarket ram raids