'Hide, hide': Witness caught in terrifying police stand-off

An innocent witness was caught in the middle of a wanted man and a police officer’s gun in a dramatic arrest in his usually quiet neighbourhood.

Dennis Hazlett was caught in the middle of a dramatic arrest at Caloundra on Friday. Picture: Patrick Woods

AN INNOCENT witness was caught between a wanted man and a police officer's gun in a dramatic arrest in his usually quiet neighbourhood.

Dennis Hazlett heard the shouts of police telling him to "get out" and "hide" at his Caloundra unit complex before he came face-to-face with a 22-year-old man.

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"I turned around to go back inside and saw this young guy in shorts and a shirt… I heard these police go 'get down' and I turned around and police had a gun straight at me," he said.

"The cops told him to get on the ground… they told him to spread his legs and arms and then they pounced on him and put handcuffs on him."

Dramatic Caloundra arrest

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Mr Hazlett was unaware the police had declared an emergency in his area after an incident earlier this morning and was thought to have fled with a handgun.

"I didn't know what they were doing… he had no weapons or knives," he said.

"I've never seen anything like it before… something off TV."

Mr Hazlett said there was a heavy police presence of bikes, cars and trucks before the man was arrested and taken away.

He said this kind of incident was "very unusual" for his neighbourhood, but he felt safe with so many officers.

"(I felt) just a little strange… there was so many police I felt secure."

Police revoked the emergency situation about 12.30pm after the arrest.

Originally published as 'Hide, hide': Witness caught in terrifying police stand-off