Police hunt two men following car chase through Bourke Street Mall - The Age

Police say they are closing in on the two men who were in a car that sped along Bourke Street Mall on Thursday evening, forcing pedestrians to flee for safety, and are confident the presence of several trams and anti-terror bollards saved lives.

Detectives are hunting two Caucasian males, aged in their teens or early 20s, who were in the green Mitsubishi Lancer that tore through the heart of Melbourne’s CBD in scenes reminiscent of the deadly Bourke Street rampage in 2017.

The driver is believed to be a male with short dark hair, who was wearing a baseball cap and white “golfing-style” gloves, Assistant Police Commissioner Luke Cornelius revealed on Friday morning.

However, police have decided not to release images of the suspects at this stage.

“Given this is yet another incident in Bourke Street and we know the history of Bourke Street we at police absolutely get the concern around community safety particularly in the areas of mass gathering, particularly our city particularly at this time as more and more people come back into the city returning to work,” Mr Cornelius said.

He detailed what unfolded in the CBD on Thursday in a bid to explain how the pair managed to evade police and remain on the run.

At no time were police ever in an active pursuit with the driver, Mr Cornelius insisted. He said the whole incident unfolded within four minutes.

“Yesterday afternoon just before 5pm, one of our PORT [Public Order Response Team] crews conducted a routine licence plate check of a vehicle rego because to the minds of those members the plates did not match that vehicle. They found indeed the plates did not match,” Mr Cornelius said.

“The senior officer said his members followed the driver down Swanston Street where two trams were blocking further movement. About that time the PORT members activated their lights. It’s at that point that vehicle then ... turned left into the Bourke Street Mall. Our members of course followed that vehicle.”

Mr Cornelius said a possible hostile vehicle incident was “playing in their minds” of his officers on the ground as the driver headed towards Elizabeth Street, with one member drawing his firearm.

“Again what’s occurred, trams were blocking that vehicle from getting out. At that point …. that vehicle has effected a U-turn [and] collided with a bollard outside Myer,” he said.

“Our members have got out of their vehicle to challenge the occupants of the vehicle … the passenger at that point has got out of the vehicle and … done a runner.”

Mr Cornelius said the bollards in the mall “did their job”, although police believe it was not a hostile vehicle attack. “Clearly this driver was … trying to get away from us,” he said.

“We didn’t see any evidence of pedestrians being targeted, if you like, in terms of the way in which the vehicle was being driven.

“We’re confident these two were fleeing felons.”

There have been no reports of injuries, although there were numerous reports of people jumping out of the car’s path and some near misses.

Pedestrians race across Bourke Street to avoid an erratic driver on Thursday.

After making the U-turn, the driver headed down Swanston Street and St Kilda Road in the car.

“The vehicle got away from us,” Mr Cornelius conceded.

“We do though have a significant concern about crooks who make deliberate choices to get away from police and in doing so expose our members and members of the community to significant harm and risk. We won’t let you get away with that. We will come after you.”

A member of the public later discovered the abandoned car in a secure underground car park on Ashworth Street, Albert Park, about 6.40pm stripped of its number plates.

Police said the abandoned car was found in Albert Park on Thursday night, minus the number plates.Credit:Nine News

Mr Cornelius said the Mitsubishi Lancer has not been reported stolen, but police know who owns the vehicle and who the number plates are registered to.

The incident comes just a week after the fourth anniversary of the Bourke Street Mall massacre, when six people were hit and killed and dozen more injured by James Gargasoulas as he sped through the CBD on January 20, 2017.

Police Minister Lisa Neville said she “felt sick in my stomach” when she heard about Thursday’s incident.

“We all reluctantly remember that day back in January 2017,” she told radio station 3AW.

“I spoke to [the] Chief Commissioner within 20 odd minutes, it what was clear very quickly – which was good – that it wasn’t a hostile vehicle attack, it was a vehicle evading police.”

She said the success of bollards in Bourke Street was “positive”.

Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Sally Capp told 3AW she was “not aware” whether there had been a reduction in police patrolling the CBD, as a result of police having to monitor Victoria’s border with NSW.

“I got to say, we feel really well supported by VicPol [Victoria Police] in our city, really grateful for the support we get. There has been a big effort for police helping at the border,” she said on Friday morning.

‘It was scary’

A security guard who did not want to be named said when he watched the erratic driving, he momentarily “thought it was a terrorist attack.”

“It was scary, especially when it did the U-turn,” he said.

A musician performing outside the GPO said he heard screeching tyres as the car tore up Bourke Street.

“I saw screeching tyres and then ‘slam’,” said the man, who only wanted to be referred to as Noah.

He said a man who appeared to be in his 20s jumped out of the car after it hit the bollard and ran down Elizabeth Street.

“It was nuts.”

Big Issue seller Louis said he was standing outside Myer and saw a green car racing down the mall.

“It spun around trying to escape the pursuing police. There was lights, noise, everything.”

He said he thought the driver was someone “on the loose and trying to get away from the police”.

“I don’t think it was some psycho out to kill everybody in the street.”

Anyone with information that could assist police with their inquiries is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

• with Henrietta Cook, Michael Fowler, David Estcourt and Carolyn Webb

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2021-01-28 23:29:00Z
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