Wild scenes as police swoop on machete-wielding man
A man brandishing a weapon has forced police to close part of the Princes Highway in Werribee as dramatic scenes unfolded.
Police swooped on a 24-year-old man brandishing a machete in Werribee on Wednesday evening, after he was seen running down the Princes Highway with the weapon.
A traffic alert warned commuters the right lane of the Princes Highway near Hoppers Lane had been closed “due to an emergency services incident” and urged motorists to exercise caution in the area.
Video footage shows the man, dressed in black, run and then walk away from officers trying to negotiate with him.
He is then seen passing directly in front of a police car, appearing to flash his knife towards the windscreen, before marching away.
Police later managed to speak with the man and take him into custody.
Police said in a statement officers had responded to reports of a man seen acting erratically and carrying a machete about 6pm.
“Officers located the man who refused to follow police directions. A taser was deployed and the man was taken into custody. A machete was seized,” police said.
“No one was injured. The 24-year-old man was taken to hospital for treatment.”
Originally published as Wild scenes as police swoop on machete-wielding man
