Two men will face court on a long list of charges after one allegedly pulled a gun on a Dover Heights resident before the pair led police on a chase through the eastern suburbs.
Police will allege in court that on Thursday at 8.20am a man wearing a balaclava approached a driver on George Street, Dover Heights, armed with a pistol.
Former nightclub king John Ibrahim’s clifftop mansion sits at the end of the street. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on his part.
The alleged gunman fled in a Cupra SUV before police saw the car travelling on Old South Head Road and tried to pull it over.
The driver allegedly failed to stop, leading police on a brief pursuit before coming to a stop on the same road, near Bellevue Hill.
Detective Inspector Adam Solah said there was a “violent struggle” as the men tried to evade arrest. Solah did not say why the men were in the area but confirmed they were not locals.
As officers struggled with the driver, aged 20, the passenger, 24, was briefly able to evade police and fled on foot. He was found a short time later hiding in a backyard on Banksia Road, police said.
Police arrest a man on Old South Head Road, and inset, John Ibrahim. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Ibrahim.
Two guns – a semi-automatic and a revolver – were allegedly found in the car and taken into evidence. Both men were taken to Waverley police station.
The 24-year-old was hit with 11 serious charges including possessing a loaded firearm in a public place, stalking or intimidating with intent of fear of physical harm and assaulting a police officer while on duty, without actual bodily harm.
The 20-year-old was charged with eight offences including possessing a loaded firearm in a public place and stalking or intimidating with intent of fear of physical harm. Both men will face Waverley Local Court on Friday.
Detectives were seen combing George Street in Dover Heights after the pursuit and spoke to Ibrahim at his mansion on the street. Police later returned to Ibrahim’s house to photograph the exterior of the property.
Bellevue Hill Public School on Victoria Road activated its emergency procedures during the police operation, and students and staff were locked in their classrooms as a precaution.
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