Martin Pilli: Mill Park dad allegedly runs at police with chainsaw

A man had to be tasered and shot with rubber bullets in the middle of the street after he allegedly ran at police with a running chainsaw.

Police had to block off several Mill Park streets for public safety. (Generic photo)

A man has allegedly run at officers with a running chainsaw after stabbing their car with a knife.

Martin Pilli, 48, was refused bail at the Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, February 9, with a magistrate deeming him an unacceptable risk of endangering others.

The father allegedly had to be tasered and shot with rubber bullets after he ran at police with a chainsaw during a tense standoff in Mill Park on New Year’s Day.

Police were called to Romano Ave about 6.40pm on January 1 after Pilli was allegedly seen unclothed in the street, slashing his chest and neck with a knife.

The court heard he then allegedly ran at a police car, before police cordoned off Romano Ave, Berala Place, Pindari Ave as Pilli allegedly roamed around with the knife.

Pilli allegedly armed himself with a hatchet and another knife before he allegedly jumped on a police car and repeatedly stabbed the windscreen.

The court heard the officer behind the wheel drove away in fear.

Pilli allegedly then ran at nearby officers with the chainsaw operating, forcing the officers to run away.

Specialist police, including the dog squad, arrived on scene about 7.35pm, and after Pilli allegedly refused to surrender the knife he was holding, he was shot with rubber bullets and tasered.

His lawyer said Pilli suffered from alcohol disuse order and severe depression and anxiety.

Pilli had allegedly drunk an entire bottle of rum right before the incident.

It was heard the former stonemason worked at an engineering factory in Bayswater, with his employer, Greg Cole, telling the court Pilli was a valuable employee and could return to work if granted bail.

“He’s a big teddy bear,” Mr Cole told the court.

Magistrate Denise Livingstone said Pilli posed an unacceptable risk to safety and was facing the “very serious” charges of reckless conduct endangering life with an offensive weapon and reckless conduct endangering serious injury.

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