Shocking footage of alleged hoons performing burnouts metres from police

Three men have been charged after a crowd watched alleged hoons perform burnouts just metres from police in Bendigo, while waving a Mexican flag out the car window.

A third man has been charged over a wild hoon event which saw a police car smashed in Bendigo.

A 19-year-old Moama man was charged on Sunday afternoon with reckless conduct endangering life.

It comes after two other men were charged over the alleged hooning incident around a marked car in Bendigo on Saturday morning.

A silver Ford Falcon sedan allegedly performed a series of burnouts on McCrae Street at 1.20 am on May 14.

A 27-year-old Bamawm man has been arrested and since charged with nine offences including reckless conduct endangering life, causing damage to an emergency service vehicle by reckless driving, aggravated potential exposure to police, failing to stop on police request and driving in manner dangerous.

The driver of the car allegedly performed wheel spins and burnouts around the police vehicle.

The man has been remanded to face Bendigo Magistrates Court on May 16.

A 22-year-old Nanneella man has been arrested and charged with reckless conduct endangering life.

Both he and the Moama man were bailed to face Bendigo Magistrates Court on August 11.

Investigators continue to search for a third man involved in performing illegal burnouts metres from police.

Victoria Police acting Superintendent Troy Hargadon said on Saturday police were responding to an “unrelated incident” on McCrae St about 1.20am, when a car performed a series of “wheel spins and burnouts” around the manned police vehicle.

“That continued for a short period and it drew a crowd from a nearby licensed premises,” A/Supt Hargadon said.

“It certainly placed not only the occupants within the car, the police members and the broader community and those patrons at significant risk.”

The alleged hoons were captured on camera waving a Mexican flag out of the window

A passenger in the car holds a Mexican flag.

It’s believed the Mexican flag represents a connection to a group of people who use social media to promote hoon behaviour.

“It’s not behaviour that should be accepted, it’s behaviour that’s terribly dangerous – not only for those undertaking that behaviour but certainly for the broader community and other road users,” A/Supt Hargadon said.

Despite the police vehicle receiving minor damage, A/Supt Hargadon said it was lucky no one sustained significant injuries.

“I think the behaviour of these people in this vehicle is certainly extremely risky. It puts not only themselves but the community at risk,” he said.

“It’s quite confronting footage.”

Police defended their decision not to pursue the car, stating it would have put the community and officers at risk.

“That’s a result of the risk versus reward for doing so,” he said.

“We’ve seen the behaviours and actions of the persons in the vehicle at the time. To pursue them would no doubt be irresponsible and create further risk to the broader community.”

In shocking footage obtained by the Herald Sun thick smoke can be seen billowing from the car, with several skid marks visible across the street.

During the burnout the vehicle clipped a police divisional van and narrowly missed colliding with pedestrians.

Anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Officer dragged by pulled over car

An officer has been injured after being dragged by a vehicle that was pulled over near Echuca early on Saturday morning.

Officers attached to Griffith Traffic and Highway Patrol pulled over a vehicle with Victorian registration, travelling south on Meninya Street, Moama.

Police pulled the vehicle over about 1am Saturday after noticing the front seat passenger was attempting to put her seat belt on. The driver was unable to produce a licence when stopped.

The Holden was directed to pull into a nearby carpark on Perricoota Road, and Victoria Police officers attended to assist.

When the driver was directed to get out of the vehicle, he drove off before being stopped at the exit by a second police vehicle.

A senior constable has approached the Holden, opening the passenger door. The driver accelerated, dragging the officer a short distance before he fell to the roadway.

A pursuit was initiated travelling along local streets and the Cobb Highway towards Deniliquin. The pursuit was later terminated due to safety concerns and the Holden was last seen on Barmah Road.

The officer suffered grazing to his arms and attended Echuca District Hospital for treatment.

As inquiries continue, anyone with information or dashcam vision that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Police crack down on youth gangs

Some of Melbourne’s worst street gang members were wiped out in a major arrest operation yielding crucial new intelligence about youth criminals wreaking havoc in the western suburbs.

Dozens of youths with links to violent street gangs were arrested as police saturated the streets of Brimbank and Melton last weekend, confiscating deadly weapons and thwarting a potential bloody brawl.

The crackdown, known as Operation Alliance, resulted in the arrest of 54 people for offences including robbery, weapons possession, evading police, burglary, car theft and unlicensed driving.

Among those apprehended were 24 people under the age of 25 with links to street gangs.

The other 30 were adults also associated with street gangs or serious and violent crime.

Youth gang members in Melbourne’s west were targeted in the operation. Picture: Supplied

The crackdown resulted in the arrest of 54 people. Picture: Supplied

More than 300 “persons of interest” were spoken to over the course of the four-day operation, providing police vital intelligence about the state of play in Melbourne’s youth gang scene.

Such intelligence was used to thwart a fight planned for the Brimbank area on Friday night.

Officers saturated local roads, transport hubs and parks, preventing potential bloodshed.

Police intercepted 300 cars as part of the operation, including one loaded with weapons in Brookfield.

Three males were arrested inside the vehicle which was armed with two large hunting knives, a taser and drugs, believed to be cannabis.

A 19-year-old from Kurunjang was charged with weapons and drugs possession offences.

He was bailed to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on December 1.

A weapons search was also conducted by police at Sunshine train station, with 15 people arrested and two knives seized.

More than 100 bail compliance checks were conducted as part of the operation, with 46 breaches detected.

Acting Superintendent Shane Brundell said Brimbank and Melton are experiencing less violent offending because police are swiftly arresting the region’s “worst young offenders” and ensuring those on bail are adhering to conditions such as curfews.

As part of the operation, 53 youths, including siblings and associates of youth offenders, were referred to support services in a bid to divert them from a life of crime.

Supt Brundell said: “To break the cycle of reoffending longer-term, our approach to youth crime needs to be balanced. That is why we are also engaging at the earliest opportunity with those on the fringes of youth gangs, such as the younger siblings of gang members, to

ensure their lives aren’t set off course by being dragged into serious and violent crime”.