‘I heard the bolt click, the bullet in the chamber’: Norlane man recounts shocking carjacking

During the chilling moments before a police shooting, a Norlane man faced down a “clown” with a gun in a battle for his car.

Gary holding the torch he used to threaten the man that car jacked his car in Iona Street Norlane last Friday. Picture: Mike Dugdale

A Norlane man has recounted a harrowing carjacking that led to police shooting a 37-year-old man on Friday.

While driving down Iona Street in Geelong’s north around 4pm on Friday, Gary was approached by a man on a bicycle.

“I was just driving along and all of a sudden this bloke comes up saying ‘hey, hey, hey,” the 75-year-old said.

“I thought ‘what’s the matter here you idiot’, so I pulled up.”

The man approached Gary’s Holden Commodore and attempted to sell him a different Commodore.

Gary said he declined the man’s offer, leading to the man grabbing the keys in the ignition.

Gary grabbed the man’s arm, and the two began to scuffle for the keys, before the man pulled away and ordered Gary out of the car.

“He said ‘get out, get out,’ I said p— off d—head and he reaches behind his back and pulls out this gun,” Gary said.

The man threatened to shoot, but Gary refused to get out of his car.

Gary holding the torch he used to threaten the man that car jacked his car in Iona Street Norlane last Friday. Picture: Mike Dugdale

“I’m sitting there with the door locked, and he started trying to break the window of the car,” he said.

“I’ve grabbed my torch in hand, ready.”

It was then that the man cocked the gun.

“I realised it was the real thing, I heard the bolt click, the bullet in the chamber,” Gary said.

“I looked up and I looked at the barrel. He said ‘I’ll shoot you, I’m not joking’.”

Gary made a decision.

“I’ll fight for anything, but when I’ve got a gun to my head, I won’t,” he said.

“I was waiting for him to pull the trigger.”

Gary got out of the car, and after a brief standoff, the man managed to get in the car and “wheeled off”.

“I stood there like a shag on a rock with my torch, hadn’t used it, very pissed off,” Gary said.

“I raced home and told the missus to call the cops, I’ve just been hijacked by some clown.”

Police officers were able to track down the car and the alleged offender to Warrawee Ave about 4.25pm.

Police attended the scene, where the man with the firearm allegedly confronted officers, who then shot him.

The man remains in a critical condition at the Alfred Hospital.

The police investigation remains ongoing.

Originally published as ‘I heard the bolt click, the bullet in the chamber’: Norlane man recounts shocking carjacking