Westfield Airport West: Duo charged after police cars rammed

Two people have been charged after three police cars were allegedly rammed in dramatic scenes at Airport West.

A man and woman have been charged after a dramatic police car ramming in Airport West.

The duo allegedly crashed a stolen car into three police cars while trying to avoid arrest at Westfield Airport West last Thursday, leaving a police officer in hospital with serious leg injuries.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said a 29-year-old man of no fixed address was facing 42 charges, including dangerous driving endangering life, unlicensed driving and burglary.

A 24-year-old Castlemaine woman is facing 25 charges, including eight counts of burglary and five counts of car thefts.

The man will appear in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on April 19, while the woman will appear before the Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court on March 3.

The injured police officer has now been released from hospital.

In extraordinary scenes at the shopping centre carpark shortly before midday last Thursday, a car was seen repeatedly ramming three police cars who were seeking to block its exit from the shopping centre.

Footage taken by a pedestrian shows the encounter in vivid detail.

The light coloured vehicle involved is captured reversing away from a group of police officers before it is seen driving directly at a highway patrol police vehicle.

It gained significant momentum driving down a ramp before it rammed the police car.

Officers drew their batons before police smashed both front windows of the vehicle in.

They dragged two people from the car and handcuffed them on the ground.

Police believe that a man and woman, who were arrested at the scene, were allegedly responsible for two recent break-ins, including a ram-raid at a designer eyewear store last Glenroy on Wednesday.

Local resident Chris told 3AW that shortly before midday Thursday two police cars were deliberately set-up to block an entrance ramp at Westfield in Airport West.

“All of a sudden this car comes driving down the ramp and tries to ram through the cop cars,” he said.

“It was unsuccessful and kind of hit a couple of cops in doing so, then they reversed again and then tried to ram through the middle of the two cop cars again.”

A third cop car came from behind, blocking the driver.

“After that seven or eight cops jumped on the car and tried to smash the windows and pulled them out and arrested them on the spot,” Chris said.

He described seeing one officer who was hit by the car on the ground holding his leg.

A Victoria Police spokesperson said two people were arrested in a Louis St carpark shortly after the police cars were rammed by an allegedly stolen car.

The spokesman said an officer was injured and three police cars damaged after the alleged offenders continued to ram the cars as officers moved in to make their arrests.

Police were called to the scene after reports of a suspicious vehicle in the carpark.

It comes after a stolen 4WD and a stolen white van were used in smash-grab burglaries at Glenroy and Fawkner on Wednesday, January 19.

Police also believe the pair were allegedly involved in a smash-grab burglary at a computer store in Millers Rd Altona North about 2am Thursday.

The 4WD and van, allegedly used in Wednesday’s ram-raids, were recovered by police in Fawkner and Deer Park on Thursday.