Friday, January 20, 2017

Australia: Man Ploughs Car Into Crowd of People, Kills 3, Injures At Least 20, Police Say Insane, Witness Says He Was Screaming, "Allahu Akbar"



This is one time when I would say, "FUCK THE POLICE!"

From The Guardian:
Three people have been killed, including a young child, and at least 15 injured after a car drove into pedestrians in Bourke Street, one of the busiest areas in Melbourne’s central business district. 
Victoria police confirmed on Friday afternoon the victims were a young child and a man and a woman, both in their 30s. 
None of the dead were believed to be related. The Royal Children’s hospital said earlier it was treating five casualties, including a two-year-old who was in intensive care and a three-month-old who was undergoing an operation. 
Figures released by several other Melbourne hospitals put the total number of injured at 25, but in an afternoon media conference Ashton said he knew of 15 injured. 
A 26-year-old man was taken into custody with non life-threatening injuries after police rammed his car and fired several shots. 
Police said the events had no connection with terrorism and the suspect, who was well known to them, had mental health and drug issues.

Here's a more complete reportage version from Youtube (because who can expect MSM like The Guardian to do real reportage - we need ordinary citizens for that):

Three people have died and at least 20 more are injured after a car ploughed into pedestrians in Melbourne's city centre during the lunchtime rush.
The maroon vehicle was seen doing burnouts outside Flinders Street Station before driving into crowds of shoppers on bust Bourke Street.
The mangled wreckage of half a pram is stuck on the bonnet of the car, while what appears to be the other half is further up the mall at a pedestrian crossing on William St.

Police have arrested a man wearing nothing but red underwear at the Elizabeth St end of the mall.
Officers said the incident is believed to be linked to a stabbing of a man in Windsor, in Melbourne's south-east at 2am on Friday.
'At this early stage it is believed a man driving a vehicle has struck a number of pedestrians in the vicinity of Bourke and Queens Streets just before 2pm,' Victoria Police said in a statement.'Emergency services are assisting multiple patients but at least one person has been confirmed deceased.
'Pedestrian access has been closed on Bourke Street between William and Swanston Streets.
'The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are yet to be determined and we will provide further information when it comes to hand.
Police said the situation had been contained, but have requested that people avoid the area.
Emergency services in Melbourne are overwhelmed, with paramedics on Code Red meaning anyone available to work must do so.A number of hospitals are on Code Brown, meaning an external emergency.
Witnesses have described the chaotic scenes that unfolded before them, while footage appears to show the suspect doing burnouts in front of Flinders Street Station.
At least one toddler is believed to be among the victims after the child's pram was dragged down the street.
'The child from the pram was dragged 100m down Bourke St with the car,' a witness said, adding the child looked around 'three or four years old'.
'People were running out of the way, they were going very very fast,' another witness, Rebecca Russo, told The Age.'I saw him hit a few people. I saw bodies flying into the air.'
Other people said they heard a boom and gunshots, with one man telling Sky News there was 'a hell of a lot of blood'.
The same witness also claimed he saw the car hit a pram.
'There's someone on the middle of the ground and there's blood all over the street,' Rishi Hathiramani, a CBD shopkeeper, told AAP.
'I've seen accidents but never this bad.
'It's pretty brutal.'
A number of CBD businesses are in lockdown, while others have been evacuated.
'A heap of people ran into my store, it was horrible. Half of my staff are in tears,' a Strandbags manager told AAP.
City office worker William Mulholland said he came out of a laneway and saw a number of bodies lying on the pavement receiving CPR from police and emergency workers.
He said his friend came out of the RACV building on Bourke St and saw a body lying on the pavement in front of him.
'He said he heard two shots, coming from the direction of King St,' Mr Mulholland told AAP.
Ambulance Victoria confirmed a number of people have been injured in the chaotic scenes.
'Paramedics are assessing 20 people after an incident in Bourke Street in the CBD this afternoon,' they said in a statement.
'A number of people were struck by a car just before 1.40pm. A number of those have serious injuries.
'Ambulance Victoria has numerous ambulances and managers at the scene.'

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