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Police are attacking Melbourne's Bourke Street Mall, where one person was fatally stabbed and two others wounded in a terrorist attack.
Police fired on the attacker as the terrifying scene unfolded in Melbourne's neighborhood on Friday. He died later in the night at the hospital.
Witnesses said they heard a loud explosion and saw a bust burn in front of the target on Bourke Street between Swanston and Russell Street at around 4:20 pm
Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said the attacker was known to the police and federal intelligence services.
"What we know so far about the individual … from what we know, we treat it as a terrorist incident," he said.
"We think we have a confirmation of the identity [and] investigations are under way in the fight against terrorism. I am not free to reveal the identity of this person. "
"He is known to the police, mainly for his family members. So it's a known person of Victoria Police and Federal Intelligence Authorities. "
The man had a minor history of drugs, robbery and driving, lived in the northwestern suburbs of Melbourne, and left Somalia in Australia in the 1990s, he said.
Ashton said that there was "a lot more work" to be done at the crime scene and that Bourke Street would probably remain stuck "until 9 am tomorrow morning".
He added that there was no threat in progress and that he would not communicate any additional details regarding the identity and motives of the attacker.
A video clip circulating on social media showed a man advancing towards the police after the vehicle exploded and was attempting to stab him, then fell back after a gunshot. One of the police officers had his weapon unsheathed.
The altercation was filmed by several pbaders-by on the scene from several angles.
But Ashton denied that the attacker shouted "Allahu Ackbar", as reported by some on social media.
He added that the fire and rescue service had discovered barbecue type gas cylinders inside the utter.
"A four-wheel-drive utility has entered Bourke Street between Russell and Swanston Streets and is parked there," said Ashton. "A man was in the vehicle. A fire was then fired in this vehicle. He exited the vehicle and engaged with members of the public at this location. Almost a minute, Victorian police were present in an unmarked vehicle.
"If there are witnesses of this event, eyewitnesses, we would like to talk with them and ask them if they could go to one of our police stations, the Melbourne Post." West located at Spencer Street. We will be able to interrogate and obtain statements from all witnesses who have seen things. "
Aaksh Verma made a statement to the police after witnessing the unfolding of the incident. He was working when he heard a detonation. He went outside and said he saw a flame go in the direction of Target. Then he saw the police arrive. "A black guy came to the police while they were staying inside the car," Verma said.
"I'm not sure if he opened the door or if the cop opened the door."
Once the door of the car was open and the policeman was still sitting, the man started stabbing him with something sharp, Verma said. He did not know if the man had made contact with the policeman or if the policeman's vest prevented him from being stabbed.
The police officer's partner came out the other side of the vehicle and intervened.
"He [the man] Back off. "
The two officers tried to use a pepper spray and a taser, but that does not seem to have any effect, Verma said.
"The person did not seem to want to run away, she wanted to stay and fight," Verma said. "He did not say anything. He had like a million chances to flee, there are many alleys. "
Verma said pbadersby had then tried to help him while waiting for the police to be insured, one armed with a cart and the other armed with an armchair.
On Friday night, Prime Minister Daniel Andrews offered his condolences.
He said: "We will not be defined by this" and thanked the police for his "very quick response" and said, "They made the pride of everyone among us".
"Strangers and pbaders-by, who did not know anyone involved, intervened without hesitation for a moment … they too are people whose qualities make us all so proud," he said.
"We extend our thoughts and prayers to all those who are hurt and offer our deepest condolences."
He added that people should contact Lifeline, Griefline and Beyond Blue if they had been affected.
"These are traumatic events, they are terrifying," said the prime minister. "Many will have seen them firsthand."
The incident comes two days after the trial of James Gargasoulas, a man from Melbourne, who pleaded not guilty to 33 counts of murder for the murder of a fatal incident on January 20, 2017, then that he would have driven pedestrians along the Bourke Street Mall. killed six people.
Cars are not allowed in the part of the street where the incident occurred and the area has been better protected by concrete bollards since the tragedy of January 2017. However, the police cars, the cars and trams and garbage trucks are accessible.
Witnesses said the police were on the scene a few minutes later.
Neil McKeller, who works at Hylands Bookshop on Bourke Street, told Guardian Australia that he had heard a loud explosion and then shots.
"We heard the explosion and shots later," said McKellar. "We heard it but we did not know what it was."
The buildings surrounding the incident were locked and police blocked sections of Bourke and Swanston Streets. Trams on both streets were also stopped.
Witness Meegan May was traveling on a tram when the incident occurred.
"Some people in the streetcars said that someone had a knife and when I got up and looked through the back window," she told ABC. "I could see a big fire en route crossing the road.
"It sort of stopped on the other side, then I saw a man and two policemen somehow trying to calm him down. He waved his arms, someone said he had a knife – I could not tell where I was from.
"And shortly thereafter, I heard a loud bang that looked a bit like a bullet, but nothing looked like an explosion, and then someone around me said that she could see somebody." a chest, an ambulance and 50 cars out of nowhere soon after.
The police asked all witnesses and anyone with a video clip to send it to them via a link on the Victoria Police Facebook page.
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