Man allegedly armed with blowtorch threatens to set alight gas cylinders at Bunnings

The TRG have taken down a man allegedly armed with a blowtorch who went on a wild rampage at a Bunnings store in Perth.

A man has been charged after he allegedly threatened to set fire to gas cylinders with a blowtorch during a wild rampage at a Bunnings store in Perth.

Officers from the Tactical Response Group and other emergency crews swarmed the Cannington store on Wednesday evening after the man allegedly armed himself with a blowtorch and threatened to set alight the gas cylinders outside the store.

Police allege the man had been seen acting suspiciously inside the Bunnings just before the incident.

The TRG and emergency crews evacuated the store and set up a 200m exclusion zone as officers tried to negotiate with the man.

TRG officers attempted to negotiate with a man armed with a blowtorch who was threatening to set fire to gas cylinders at a Perth Bunnings store before he was taken down. Picture 9News

Footage from the incident shows the man suddenly fall as several TRG officers approached and pinned him to the ground.

Firefighters can be seen spraying water across the scene as more officers swarm in to control the man.

A witness on holiday from Germany told The West Australian newspaper a person who was there earlier said he put the gas cylinders on fire.

“You could hear gunshots, but it was different from normal ones,” Nelly Funk told the newspaper.

“The firefighters were spraying water on him.

A 42-year old man from Kelmscott in Perth’s east was taken into custody and charged with burglary, stealing, being armed to cause fear and endangering life. Picture 9News

“I was shocked, when I heard the police it was quite a shock for me – we are actually from Germany, and it’s our first month here.”

A 42-year-old man from Kelmscott in Perth’s east has been charged with burglary, stealing, being armed to cause fear and endangering life.

He is due to appear in the Armadale Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Originally published as Man allegedly armed with blowtorch threatens to set alight gas cylinders at Bunnings