Police called after African youths turn abusive in Essendon
A TENNIS player has told how he “frantically ran” from armed youths who tried to surround him and his friends after a threatening confrontation in Melbourne’s northwest.
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A TENNIS player has told how he “frantically ran” from armed youths who tried to surround him and his friends after a threatening confrontation in Melbourne’s northwest.
A man, who wished to remain unnamed, and four mates were training at Essendon Tennis Club when a large group of African youths sprang up “out of nowhere.”
He said the youths had tried to bait his mates by shouting expletives at them from the outskirts of the tennis court.
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“They were yelling, ‘what the f*** are you looking at’ and ‘what the f*** are you saying?” he said.
“They were trying to get a reaction.”
Moments later the group spotted one youth holding a metal pole and decided to run.
“My mate said, ‘boys, let’s get out of here’ so we picked up our stuff and ran,” he added.
He said the youths tried to trap the men as they ran approximately 100m to the safety of their cars.
“They were trying to run around us. They took off on the street to try cut us off,” he said.
“If they managed to get to the court, we would have been done for.
“We were outnumbered.”
He suspects the youths may have targeted them because they were driving luxury cars.
“I drive a Mercedes. My mates were driving an Audi 4WD and vintage Mustang,” he said.
“I honestly didn’t know what was going to happen. I thought they were going to jump me and take the car.”
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Club chairman Rhys Collins said the players called the police for help when confronted on Thursday 28 December.
“They approached the perimeter fencing and were acting in an abusive and threatening manner toward the members,” he told 3AW.
“They felt threatened by what was taking place so contacted police.”
Mr Collins said up to four police units responded the player’s worried calls.
“By the time they had arrived, the youths had dispersed,” he said.
Two youths were spoken to but it is understood no charges were laid.
“The safety of our people is a primary concern,” Mr Collins said.
There are unconfirmed reports the youths were armed with weapons at the time of the incident.
A memo was circulated to all sporting clubs in the area notifying them of the incident.
The Moonee Valley City Council statement warned clubs to take care.
“This is hopefully an isolated incident however, it is important to remind your members that if there is any suspicious activity around your club or you feel concerned for your safety, please don’t hesitate to contact the police on triple-000 as a matter of urgency,” the memo read.
Victoria Police spokeswoman Lauren Kells said officers were called to the reserve shortly after 7.45pm.
“A report was made that an altercation had occurred between a group of youths at the basketball courts and patrons of the neighbouring tennis club,” she said.
“Police attended the reserve, however the group of youths had dispersed before police arrival.
“Officers patrolled and monitored the area for an amount of time following the report, however no weapons or alleged offenders were located.”
No formal complaint or injuries were reported.
The confrontation is the latest display of aggression caused by African youths in Melbourne.
Meanwhile, a teenage boy was last night arrested after jumping on a police van.
Witness Casey Higgins said the youth was screaming obscenities from the top of the van parked outside Werribee Plaza.
“He was jumping up and down on the police van screaming F the police and there was another teenager throwing rocks at the van,” she told 3AW.
Police confirmed a teenage boy was arrested about 8.20pm after police found him on top of the marked van parked at the intersection of Derrimut and Heaths Road.
No injuries were reported and the boy was conveyed to hospital for assessment.
Ms Higgins said crime in the area has worsened.
“Its hard going into Werribee these days … It’s (crime) getting worse to be honest,” she said.