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NSW parliament standoff ends as police launch assault on car NSW parliament standoff: police feared man would ignite liquid
(about 1 hour later)
A security scare outside the NSW parliament in Sydney is over after police launched an assault on a car parked on the footpath outside and took the driver into custody. Police said a man sitting in a car parked outside the New South Wales parliament was about to ignite a container of flammable liquid with a lighter when officers brought an end to a two-hour standoff in Sydney on Friday by smashing the windows and gassing him.
A white car parked at the front of the parliament building prompted a lockdown of the parliament and the closure of Macquarie street by police about midday on Friday. Guardian Australia understands the man wanted to see the NSW premier, Barry O’Farrell. The NSW police assistant commissioner Mark Murdoch said the 58-year-old man parked his white sedan on the footpath outside parliament just before midday on Friday, prompting calls to the police.
Police negotiators spoke to the man through his driver’s-side window from a distance, with the man handing over what appeared to be a note. A police officer approached the car with his hands up and took the note before walking away and giving it to tactical response police wearing bulletproof vests. Officers maintained a distance of several metres. Out of the man’s sight, police approached the car with a firehose. Murdoch said when police arrived the man threatened to set the liquid on fire, causing Macquarie Street to be closed and parliament house locked down.
Shortly after 2pm police moved the crowds back a further 30 metres before launching an assault on the car. There were three loud bangs and then visible white smoke from the car. Police hosed the car down and several officers opened the car, dragging the man onto the footpath before putting him in handcuffs. Negotiators spoke to the man for two hours and in that time he wrote at least two notes containing demands to police, Murdoch said. A police officer was seen to approach the car with his hands up and take one of the notes before walking away and giving it to tactical response police wearing bulletproof vests.
It is not yet known what caused the bangs or smoke. Murdoch would not go into the detail of the demands but it is believed he wanted to see the premier, Barry O'Farrell, who was inside parliament at the time.
The man was then treated on the side of the road by an ambulance officer. Police were not in a position to meet or entertain those demands, said Murdoch. "We're still trying to get to the bottom of exactly why he did it," he said.
A police spokesman said the man was arrested at 2pm and taken safely into custody. He is being checked over but does not appear to be seriously injured. Negotiators maintained a distance from the car of several metres. Out of the man’s sight, police approached the car with a firehose.
There is a bomb in this white car outside parliament, security say. pic.twitter.com/4y9w3USxCO Murdoch later told reporters that when the man produced a lighter, officers decided to storm the car using “tactical gas” and crowbars to break open the vehicle.
The police earlier told Guardian Australia the man was threatening self-harm but would not give any further details. Shortly after 2pm police moved the crowds back a further 30 metres before launching the assault. There were three loud bangs and then white smoke could be seen coming from the car.
The ABC political reporter Sarah Gerathy reported the man inside the car had been threatening to set himself alight, quoting police sources. Police hosed down the car and several officers opened the car, dragging the man onto the footpath before putting him in handcuffs.
Ambulance officers and firefighters were on standby and at least one team of heavily armed tactical response police had arrived on the scene. The man was then treated on the side of the road by an ambulance officer before being taken to St Vincent’s hospital with “minor injuries”.
The 58-year-old man from Wollongong was “known to police”, Murdoch said.
“He is a regular visitor to the parliamentary precinct,” he said. "The mere fact it was in front of the state's parliament in the middle of Sydney in the middle of the day certainly posed a risk.”
“We took measures to mitigate that risk and the situation was resolved peacefully.”
Ambulance officers and firefighters were on standby during the incident and at least one team of heavily armed tactical response police had arrived on the scene.
“Those officers put their lives on the line this afternoon … and that is to be commended,” he said.
Police were allowing pedestrians within about 200 metres of the car, and hundreds of passers-by crowded the area taped off by police trying to get a look.Police were allowing pedestrians within about 200 metres of the car, and hundreds of passers-by crowded the area taped off by police trying to get a look.
Paul Chadwick, who was on the scene, told Guardian Australia that crowds were not a great distance away.
“I’m at the mouth of Martin Place and there are police tapes and police stopping people from leaving buildings,” he said. “But we would be no more than 100 paces from the car itself.”
O’Farrell and the treasurer, Mike Baird, were both at the parliament when the threat was made and all entrances and exits to the building were sealed off with all staff told to remain inside.O’Farrell and the treasurer, Mike Baird, were both at the parliament when the threat was made and all entrances and exits to the building were sealed off with all staff told to remain inside.
There was an initial report that it was a bomb scare but police did not confirm this.
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With @barryofarrell and we are locked in Parliament House -macq street closed & riot squad ready! Please don't panic pic.twitter.com/ZQWyBynQSo
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