WATCH: Toowoomba take down at shopping centre

Wild footage has emerged of a crazy brawl inside a Toowoomba shopping centre after a woman allegedly left a store with a bag full of unpaid goods.

Wild footage has emerged of a crazy brawl inside a Toowoomba shopping centre after a woman allegedly left a store with a bagful of unpaid goods.

In the footage an older man can be seen taking down the woman and holding her in a headlock while he appears to yell out for bystanders to call the police.

A woman is detained at a Toowoomba shopping centre.

Hundreds of Toowoomba locals have flooded the comment section of the post, applauding the man for his bravery and “top-notch” attitude towards local crime.

“What a legend,” one commenter said.

“He needs a beer, what’s his name,” said another.

The two can be seen thrashing around on the shopping centre floor before others intervene and pull the pair apart.

Police are aware of the footage and a spokeswoman said while the service welcomed support from the public, she urged residents not to take the law into their own hands.

“The Queensland Police Service appreciates community assistance in reporting local criminal activity,” the statement said.

“Information received from members of the public is continually instrumental in identifying and disrupting criminal offences.

“To ensure community safety, police recommend members of the public not to engage in methods of disrupting criminal activity which may involve risk of personal harm or further legal recourse.

“People who do attempt to take matters into their own hands can very well have any weapon turned on themselves and could face harm or in some cases could themselves face legal recourse dependent on their actions.”

A woman is detained at a Toowoomba shopping centre.

Toowoomba’s Jacqui Rothwell, who caught the footage and uploaded it to social media, said she witnessed the incident unfold before her eyes.

“We were just walking in and I had my two-year-old with me and we heard yelling,” she said.

“We saw the lady run from the phone case shop in front of Big W and she was bolting.

“The store owner was chasing her with this big stick, she threw her clothes to her right and that’s when she was tackled by the man.

“I read about it all the time but this is the first time I’ve seen someone try to do something.”

Ms Rothwell said the girl who was tackled started screaming for her friend, who can be seen walking into frame along with security guards.

“Behind her was security, so I assume she had just been busted and security had tried moving her on,” she said.

A Clifford Gardens spokesperson said security was on-hand to deal with the incident, urging shoppers never to intervene where they think a crime has occurred.

“The security incident pertained to an alleged theft at a store within the centre; where a customer had intervened, amplifying the situation,” they said.

“Security attended and defused the situation, escorting the alleged offender offsite.

“The centre urges patrons to be mindful of their safety and not intervene with security events.

“We want to reassure the community that the safety of our customers remains the highest priority.”

Originally published as WATCH: Toowoomba take down at shopping centre