Man fleeing police falls seven storeys from Melbourne carpark

UPDATE: A MAN is fighting for life in hospital after falling more than 20 metres from a Melbourne carpark while fleeing police.

A MAN fleeing police has fallen seven storeys from a Southbank carpark this morning.

Security at the Power St carpark noticed a man acting suspiciously around 3am and called police, but when they arrived the man ran off.

Police saw the man hanging by a railing on the outside of the building seven storeys up.

The man fell more than 20 metres before police could reach him and landed on an awning.

Fire crews used a cherry picker to get the man down.

Forensic investigators on top of the awning where a man fell from 7 storeys this morning @theheraldsun pic.twitter.com/UYmIjDyAzN

— Bridget Davies (@bridget_davies) May 6, 2016

Police on scene where a man fell from a multi-level car park on Power Street, Southbank. Picture: Hamish Blair

Victoria Police have told the Herald Sun officers responded to a call for assistance from building security.

When they arrived the man fled but officers did not give chase because he entered a section of the building with one exit.

Officers waited outside for him to come down before seeing him plunge, Victoria Police say.

Inspector Trevor Cornwill said police had been unable to identify the man and were yet to speak with him in hospital because his injuries were so severe.

“We haven’t been able to speak with him yet so do not know what he was doing in the building,” Mr Cornwill said.

“We will speak with him later today if possible.”

Inspector Cornwill said it was yet to be determined if the man jumped or if he fell.

“Police did not give chase, there was no one with him on that level when it happened,” Mr Cornwill said.

He said Professional Standards Command investigated all incidents where someone had been seriously hurt in police presence.

“The officers who responded acted appropriately, everything they did was correct,” he said.

Police did not know if the man was affected by drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident.

The victim was treated by paramedics for back, head and arm injuries and taken to The Alfred hospital in a critical condition.

Power St has reopened after being blocked earlier this morning.

More than a dozen police, including some from the Homicide Squad, are on scene investigating.

Marie Lindsay, who lives in the apartment building opposite, said she woke to a loud bang around 3am.

“It was a crashing sound but not like a car, it was very loud,” Ms Lindsay said.

“I went out onto the balcony and saw a man lying there who was very distressed, he was wailing, in lots of pain.”

The scene at 9 Power St near Crown Casino where a man has fallen 7 stories, he's in a critical cond. @theheraldsun pic.twitter.com/gB9MVgmmoc

— Bridget Davies (@bridget_davies) May 5, 2016

Picture: Hamish Blair

The building where the man fell. Picture: Hamish Blair

Ms Lindsay said she saw a number of police officers attempting to talk to the man, trying to calm him down.

“There was police, ambulance and fire trucks here, it was all still happening after 4am.”

Another resident said it sounded like a bomb going off.

“It was so loud, like a bomb,” Melanie Mulia said.

Ms Mulia lives in the apartment building opposite the carpark and saw the man lying on the awning around 3.45am.

“He was yelling, it must have been very painful — for about 15 minute he was just yelling,” she said.

“I could see the blood but I could tell he was still alive, it took maybe half an hour for a crane to get him down.”

Ms Mulia said there was often violence and police in the area.

Originally published as Man fleeing police falls seven storeys from Melbourne carpark