Cop gun ‘unintentionally’ shot in airport, man charged
Jack Gramenz and Farid Farid |
A man from interstate has been charged after a gun was accidentally fired at Australia’s busiest airport in one of its domestic terminals.
The 41-year-old Victorian was arrested in a tussle with Australian Federal Police officers at Sydney Airport at about 6am on Wednesday.
When officers tried to speak to the man, he allegedly became verbally and physically aggressive but during his arrest an officer’s firearm was “unintentionally” discharged, police said.
There were no injuries and no ongoing threat to the public.
“The AFP is investigating the circumstances around the discharge of the weapon,” AFP acting commander Scott Raven said.
“However, the alleged actions of this man and aggressiveness towards police created a volatile situation.”
The man faces two charges under federal law: obstructing or resisting a federal official and creating a disturbance at an airport.
He was bailed to appear in a Sydney court on September 1.
The incident followed an airline request for assistance over the man’s suspicious behaviour in the T2 domestic terminal.
He was subsequently arrested and taken to Mascot police station.
Police taped off an area near gate 53 in the terminal’s western wing as part of the investigation.
The terminal is mostly used for Virgin, Jetstar and Rex flights.
Sydney Airport is operating normally, it said in a statement.
Sydney is Australia’s busiest airport, handling more than 40 million passengers a year, according to data from the federal transport department.
AAP
