Police charge Pakenham man who allegedly threatened PSO before being shot on Princes Bridge

A 20-year-old Pakenham man who was shot after he allegedly threatened a protective services officer near Flinders Street Station has been charged by police.

Two separate incidents unfolded on a busy Melbourne bridge on Friday evening which resulted in a PSO shooting a man. Picture: Ian Currie

The man shot by a protective services officer after he allegedly threatened another officer with a smashed glass bottle in Melbourne’s CBD on Friday evening has been charged.

Police say an agitated man approached the PSO on Princes Bridge near Flinders Street Station about 7pm, allegedly telling the officer he would “harm him”.

The 20-year-old Pakenham man hid his hands in his pockets before revealing a broken glass bottle and allegedly threatening the officer.

He then allegedly chased the officer for more than 20m before a colleague discharged his firearm twice, shooting the man in the upper body once.

Police on Princes Bridge outside Flinders Street Station. Picture: Ian Currie

The Pakenham man was charged on Tuesday with two counts of common law assault, two counts of assaulting a protective services officer, two counts of threatening to assault a protective services officer and reckless conduct endangering person.

He appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court via video link from his hospital bed for a brief administrative hearing on Tuesday.

He was remanded in custody and will return to court on May 7 for a committal mention.

Pedestrians slashed, man arrested

Earlier, a South Melbourne man, coincidentally also wielding a broken glass bottle on the Princes Bridge, allegedly slashed four pedestrians to the face and head.

Jeremy Bader-McDowell, 27, was arrested and charged with four counts of recklessly causing injury before facing the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Saturday evening.

According to police, he boarded a tram on Friday and allegedly unsuccessfully attempted to rob a woman of her handbag before disembarking near Hamer Hall about 5.40pm.

It is alleged the man then used a broken glass bottle to strike four pedestrians – including a woman who was taking photos of her partner on the bridge – before he was arrested near Flinders Street Station.

A 67-year-old Warneet man, a 56-year-old Collingwood woman, a 24-year-old Kennington woman and a 46-year-old Hoppers Crossing woman were taken to St Vincent’s Hospital and The Alfred to be treated for lacerations.

Mr Bader-McDowell’s defence lawyer told the court his client should be granted bail to be treated at a hospital on an inpatient order, citing that he was “very mentally unwell”.

Halfway through the hearing, Mr Bader-McDowell began to sob in the dock.

“Prison is not the place for me,” he said.

But Mr Bader-McDowell was denied bail by Magistrate Duncan Reynolds, who said he was an “unacceptable risk” to the safety of the community.

He added his alleged offending was “disturbing” in nature.

Mr Bader-McDowell was remanded in custody and will return to court at a later date.

Police arrest the South Melbourne man on Princes Bridge.

Police officers and PSOs were responding to the alleged assaults by Mr Bader-McDowell when they were confronted by the Pakenham man.

Assistant commissioner for transit and public safety command Dean McWhirter on Saturday said the officers had done an “amazing job” in assessing the risk and preventing injury to the PSO.

The officers were not equipped with tasers and OC spray proved ineffective.

“We’ve been confronted with a really serious situation where our members are quite clearly going to be injured in terms of the actions of the offender,” he said.

“I think the members have done an amazing job in terms of the tactical options they’ve got available.

“It’s an awful situation for the person who’s been shot and it’s tragic in itself.

“I’ve spoken to several of the members involved today and quite clearly they’re challenged by what happened to them, in terms of the decisions they’ve had to make.”

The man was expected to undergo surgery on Saturday afternoon.

Mr McWhirter said the established crime scene meant other pedestrians were out of the way when the PSO shot the man.

Police outside Flinders Street Station after a man was shot by a PSO. Picture: Ian Currie

A Victoria Police spokeswoman on Friday evening said two PSOs deployed OC spray, which “did not appear to have any affect”.

“One PSO discharged his firearm, with the man being struck once,” she said.

“The incident is not terror related and there is no danger to the community.

“Armed Crime Squad detectives will investigate the incident which will be oversighted by Professional Standards Command, as per standard protocol when a firearm is discharged.”

Victoria Police have confirmed a man has been injured during a PSO shooting in Melbourne’s CBD this evening.

Over a dozen police remain stationed on Princes Bridge following the incident which unfolded earlier tonight. pic.twitter.com/RcyYNZgulJ

— Josephine Quattrocchi (@JQjournalist) February 9, 2024

#melbourne right now! Unknown shooting #shootingpic.twitter.com/57z6Ellp70

— SadafTamizkar (@STamizkar) February 9, 2024

Witness Sophie Elsworth described the scenes of the first alleged incident as “unsettling” as she walked from Southbank over the Princes Street Bridge after 6pm.

“There was a woman sitting on the footpath with blood on her body that you could see and she looked very shaken up,” she said.

“She was near the Arts Centre and was being helped by a bystander.

“Police were directing pedestrians to walk on the opposite side of the bridge which wasn’t cordoned off.

“As I approached Flinders Street Station, a man was being held down by multiple police on the bridge with what looked like blood all over his hands that were behind his back which was frightening to see.

“Onlookers were asking police what had happened but weren’t given any details.”

Police swarmed the Flinders Street intersection after the second incident unfolded. Picture: Ian Currie

Ms Elsworth said concerned pedestrians asked: “Was there a knife?”

“People were taking photos and trying to ask other people watching what happened, some were concerned by the scenes but didn’t know what had caused one side of the bridge to be closed off to the public,” she said.

Three ambulances, two police officers on horseback and several police vehicles attended the first incident, but dozens of police officers descended on the scene following the shooting.

Tianna, who works at a Flinders Street Station take away shop, said she saw people running away while screaming for help following the second incident.