Man arrested after firing crossbow at two police officers in Eltham
Police have drawn their guns and returned fire on a man who allegedly shot a crossbow during a dramatic standoff in Eltham, that a resident of the area described as “scary”.
Police have opened fire after a man shot a crossbow in Melbourne’s northeast on Monday afternoon.
Officers were called to Reynolds Rd, Eltham about 1.40pm after receiving reports of a man, armed with a crossbow, acting erratically.
Initial attempts by police to negotiate with the man were unsuccessful but he later emerged from the back door of the property and allegedly fired his crossbow at two officers.
It’s understood the officers then drew their weapons and returned fire in his direction.
The man — who was not injured in the incident — retreated inside the property and surrendered to police shortly afterwards.
The 26-year-old alleged offender was set to be interviewed by police on Monday night.
A resident of Reynolds St said she heard the incident unfold from her front yard.
“I was putting something in the rubbish bin and I heard this big bang, it sounded like a gunshot,” she said.
“And then I walked up … to see what was going on … and I saw a young, smaller police woman just crouched down, and she had a gun in her hand. I thought ‘oh my god, a gun’.”
The woman said when the alleged offender was taken into police custody a male officer was instructing him to drop what he had in his hand.
“He said it two or three times before the guy complied,” she said.
“It was scary.”
The woman said police had attended the Eltham home frequently since 2020, and that she had called authorities on him in the past.
The woman, who has lived in Reynolds St for 20 years, said she believed police should have closed the street during the incident.
Originally published as Man arrested after firing crossbow at two police officers in Eltham
