‘Get on the ground’: Driver in police custody after Bondi shooting, alleged high speed chase

A man who led police on a dramatic chase through the eastern suburbs has been tracked down and taken into custody after an officer was forced to fire gunshots at him in an allegedly desperate bid to avoid being run over.

A man who led police on a dramatic chase through the eastern suburbs, metres from Bondi Beach, has been taken into custody after an officer was forced to fire gunshots at him in an allegedly desperate bid to avoid being run over.

Police raced after the stolen, dark-coloured Audi hatchback on Old South Head Rd in Rose Bay about 4am on Saturday before the short pursuit was abandoned due to high speeds and erratic driving.

Soon after, the Audi was stopped in the dead-end lane at Sir Thomas Mitchell Rd in Bondi, where an officer tried to approach the vehicle.

Police allege the 37-year-old driver suddenly accelerated towards the police officer, forcing the officer to fire six shots at the vehicle while yelling “get out of the car” and “get on the ground” according to residents’ accounts.

The driver allegedly rammed into the police car and sped out of the lane, sparking a manhunt for the driver after police lost track of him.

The quiet dead-end lane at Sir Thomas Mitchell Rd in Bondi, where an officer fired gunshots at a stolen Audi in the early hours of Saturday morning. Picture: Elizabeth Pike

A local resident discovered the vehicle on Murriverie Rd, North Bondi, about 6.30am.

Detective Superintendent Jodi Radmore said the “male person of interest” was found nearby shortly after and taken into police custody, where he is “assisting with inquiries”.

Supt Radmore said it was too early into the investigation to press charges, however, she confirmed the driver was known to police.

She also defended the officer’s decision to approach the vehicle and their use of force.

Neither the driver or the police officers were injured in the incident following hospital checks.

“Police are doing their job to keep people in the community safe and at that point in time, they weren’t to know whether (the driver) wasn’t injured and they might have been wanting to render aid,” Supt Radmore said.

“(But) we review all matters involving police use of force … and that will come out in the investigation.”

The Audi was stolen from a property in Double Bay on Friday night and has been retained for forensic examination.

The rammed police car following the pursuit in Bondi. Picture: Elizabeth Pike

Locals were woken up by the dramatic scene in the early hours of the morning after hearing gunshots and police sirens.

Etienne (last name withheld at his request), 36, said the gunshots and ramming was “really like a movie”.

“I heard something like a bang at the end of the street or something, and I heard a police officer screaming, ‘get on the ground, get on the ground’ and then there were five, six pops, which I recognised as being gunshots,” he said.

“I believe that I heard the car just rushing through, like, back to the other side of the street, and I looked at the window and there were five or six police cars arriving within the next 15 minutes.”

A steady stream of residents – and holidayers – visited the crime scene late into Saturday morning, drawn out of their apartments and homes to see where the drama unfolded.

Police tape surrounded the crime scene and a number of locals had to wait to be led to and from their homes, while others were turned away entirely.

Residents held back by police tape try to get back to their homes in Sir Mitchell Rd in Bondi following a police chase and shoot out on Saturday morning. Picture: Elizabeth Pike

Eric (surname withheld), 55, had come up from Canberra to spend a few days in Bondi with his family. The shooting happened in the street behind their Airbnb.

“Immediately I just heard a yell, my daughter also heard it, she said it was something like, ‘get out of the car’, and then right after that, it was like, boom, boom, and then there were four more shots, like, boom, boom, boom, boom,” he said.

“Both of us were freaked out. We couldn’t go back to sleep … we knew that it was very close. It sounded like it was right outside our window.

“I think we’re sort of saying, OK, maybe tonight we should just come in early (before dark).”

Anyone who may have been in the vicinity of Old South Head Rd, Rose Bay, or Sir Thomas Mitchell Rd or Murriverie Rd, North Bondi, between 4am and 6.30am who has relevant information, CCTV or dashcam vision which may assist investigators, is urged to call Eastern Suburbs Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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