Jacob Watts allegedly chased by police after carrying a chopstick through Dandenong
Police chased a 25-year-old man after they thought he was walking through Dandenong with a knife which turned out to be a chopstick, a court has heard.
South East
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An innocent motorist in Dandenong was subjected to a terrifying encounter with a man police believed was carrying a knife, a court has heard.
The alleged weapon actually turned out to be a chopstick – but it wasn’t the only item in the man’s possession.
Jacob Watts, of no fixed address, appeared at the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Friday after being charged with resisting and obstructing an emergency worker, entering a motor vehicle without consent, possessing a drug of dependence.
The court heard Watts was allegedly spotted carrying a silver object, which police believed to be a knife, along the Princes Highway in Dandenong on November 21 of last year.
Officers shouted at him to stop but he took off running through the Dandenong Memorial Park before running onto the Princes Highway and allegedly jumping into a passer-by’s car.
Watts allegedly yelled at the driver to drive, but the victim refused and instead yelled back telling him to get out of his car.
Police allege officers caught up with the vehicle as Watts locked the backdoor to prevent them from getting to him.
He was eventually pulled out and searched.
Police found the silver object — a chopstick — as well as a small zip lock bag of weed on him.
He was on a community corrections order at the time of the alleged offending.
Watts suffers from mental health issues including drug-induced psychosis and was experiencing a mental episode at the time of the alleged offending, the court heard.
Magistrate Megan Casey questioned if Watts was ready to be released from custody considering his past compliance with his court orders then ordered him to be released through the court integrated services program.
Watts had spent 57 days in custody at the time of his release and will appear in court next month for monitoring.
