A driver arrested after a car was driven into pedestrians in Melbourne was a 32-year-old Australian of Afghan descent with a history of drug use and mental health problems, police have said.
Victoria Police chief Shane Patton said a second man, aged 24, who was arrested after he was seen filming the incident was found to have a bag containing knives.
Investigators have found no evidence to suggest a link with terrorism and Mr Patton said they had not established any relationship between the two men. Some 19 people were injured, four critically, when a white car was driven “in a deliberate” act at crowds outside Flinders Street station at around 4.30pm local (5.30am Irish time) on Thursday.
The driver of the car was detained by an off-duty police officer, who was later taken to hospital with injuries not believed to be critical. Mr Patton told a press conference the driver had resisted arrest and there had been “somewhat of a fight between them”.
He added: “We have reviewed the footage and are satisfied that he was driving the car without anyone else present. “He has be taken to hospital as a result of the incident, as has the police officer. “He is a person known to Victoria Police. He has historical assault matters an has a history of drug use as well as mental health issues. “We understand that he was on a mental health plan and receiving treatment.” He added: “We do not at this time have any intelligence to indicate that there is a connection to terrorism.”
Bag of knives
The second man held in connection with the incident was seen filming it on a mobile phone “and also had a bag that had some knives in it”, Mr Patton said, but it appears he may not be connected. He added: “We don’t yet have any relationship established between the 24-year-old man who was taking a video, who was arrested at the scene, and the driver. In fact there may be no relationship between them.
“But, obviously, at a significant scene like this he was taken into custody because of the circumstances so we can explore it. It may well be that person is exonerated from any involvement in this in the end, and that’s probable at this stage.”
Images from the scene showed a number of people receiving medical attention, while a white Suzuki SUV appeared to have crashed to a stop.
Police said they had “saturated” the area with officers as paramedics transported people to city hospitals, while others were being assessed by paramedics at the scene.
A woman called Sue told 3AW radio: “As it (the car) approached this intersection... it just mowed everybody down, people were flying everywhere.”
Social media images appeared to show a young man in jeans and a T-shirt being arrested by three police officers on the steps of the station, although it was unclear if he had been in the car.
Lachlan Read told the Herald Sun the whole incident lasted about 15 seconds.
“It was bang, bang, bang. It was just one after the other.
“The last bang the car stopped,” the 20-year-old said. “There were bodies on the ground and people running up to them — it was mayhem.
“It is definitely something you don’t expect to see on Flinders Street.”
It was the first week of school summer holidays in Victoria, and the area was busy with Christmas shoppers.
Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull tweeted: “As our federal and state police and security agencies work together to secure the scene and investigate this shocking incident, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and the emergency and health workers who are treating them.”–PA