Tense scenes erupt at Flemington lockdown tower after dramatic arrest
A dramatic arrest outside one of Melbourne’s lockdown towers was caught on camera after it unfolded overnight, with police swarming a man who later shouted that he couldn’t breathe.
Police & Courts
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Tense scenes between civilians and police have erupted outside one of the Flemington towers overnight.
Dramatic vision of the arrest showed police swarming the man and bringing him to the ground near the Holland Court flats, before he yells “I can’t breathe”.
The scuffle was one of many that took place after charity volunteers argued with police outside 12 Holland Court, where residents were unable to leave their homes since Saturday.
Australasian Mercy Secondary School Association Youth Connect arrived just after 9pm with packed groceries for residents.
Volunteers claimed they waited around for about half an hour before deliveries were able to begin, and the fight broke out shortly after.
Counsellor Tigist Kebede filmed the incident, and can be heard yelling for the man to be let go as they scuffle with police.
“Please, please don’t choke him, please … he’s just trying to deliver food,” she said in the footage.
Moments later, three officers appeared to tackle him to the ground, prompting Ms Kebede’s calls for peace to become more panicked and desperate.
At one point in the clip, she approached a wall of police surrounding to check on the man’s wellbeing.
Police said they were following up the incident after a man became verbally aggressive towards police about 9.50pm.
“It is believed the unknown man approached police in a verbally aggressive manner after getting out of a car,” a police spokeswoman said.
“When the man approached police, another male also appeared to join him along with numerous other people on the road who tried to restrain the men which impeded police.
The unknown man ran off from the scene, while the other man, a 28-year-old from Altona North who was refusing the direction of police was arrested.”
The Altona North man was released pending further inquiries with police still to follow up the identity of the unknown man.
All present at the scene were moved on by police to avoid any further breaches of peace.
Police claimed the argument was not related to the delivery of food, and are investigating whether the unknown man is linked to a minor incident at the same building earlier in the week.
Ms Kebede shared the footage to her social media pages, telling followers it was the “scariest thing I’ve ever seen”.
“I was so afraid this was going to be another viral black death,” she wrote in a statement posted to Instagram.
The nine public housing towers in Melbourne have been the centre of controversy this week, with about 3000 residents forced to stay inside their homes as health officials go door to door testing for coronavirus.
Premier Daniel Andrews has been criticised for the heavy police presence at the towers, the slow delivery of food and an alleged lack of care shown towards residents.
The towers were locked down for a minimum of five days from Saturday so all residents could be tested before further decisions were made, though a public health order gives the government the power to keep the residents inside for up to two weeks.
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