A hero ex-cop has recalled how he and a mate raced in to help restrain a man who allegedly tried to grab an n Federal Police officer’s firearm during a dramatic arrest at Sydney Airport – as new details emerge about the alleged offender.
Officers responded to a request for assistance from an airline about a man allegedly acting suspiciously in the T2 domestic terminal early Wednesday.
Two officers wrestled the man to the ground before the gun unintentionally discharged during the struggle – plunging the airport into lockdown.
Police have since revealed that the alleged offender was known to police and that he was at the airport the day before and told to leave. The man, 41, from Victoria has since been charged and granted bail.
Police added it was very lucky that no one was injured during the incident after a bullet hit a cafe wall a metre away.
Among the bystanders was practising barrister William John Wilcher, an ex-NSW Police dog handler who was waiting at the airport waiting to board a flight to Townsville with his mate, an off-duty sergeant.
The pair’s police instincts kicked in when they saw the unfolding altercation.
‘We saw this fellow struggling with the two AFP officers. It’s gone to the ground,’ Mr Wilcher told 2GB morning host Mark Levy.
‘The AFP officer’s long firearm has gone to the ground and was underneath the fellow.
‘As we went to restrain him, the shot has been discharged.
‘I applied a wrist lock to lock his left wrist up, my colleague locked up his right hand, and eventually handcuffs were applied.
‘You just do, when these things happen, you don’t really think about it.’
Mr Wilcher didn’t hesitate when asked if the public was at risk when the gun was discharged.
‘Certainly,’ he replied.
‘I can’t believe that this occurred. It was about a metre and a half away from a coffee shop.
‘The terminal was full of people.
‘The AFP did a good job, as they always do, and as we do in .
‘We were just lucky that the gun muzzle was pointing at the coffee shop and not anyone else.’
Mr Wilcher ha not regrets about intervening, despite ditching his 12-year career in police force almost two decades ago
‘You just do, when these things happen. You don’t even think about it,’ he said.
Mr Wicher also praised his mate’s actions.
‘He did an exemplary job and is a credit to the NSW Police,’ he said.
The alleged offender was filmed shouting expletives as officers pinned him to the floor.
He has since been charged with obstructing an official and creating a disturbance at an airport.
He was granted bailed to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on September 1.
The man faces a hefty $3,300 fine and up to two years behind bars.
AFP Acting Commander Scott Raven confirmed the man was known to police
‘We had dealt with him yesterday in relation to a number of things about his behaviour and he left the airport,’ he told reporters on Wednesday.
‘Today, through the good work of our airline partners, they identified a male who was acting suspiciously at check-in counters, and as a result of that they called the AFP and we moved swiftly into action to deal with the situation.
Flights continued as normal during the incident.
The incident happened directly outside Veloce Espresso in Terminal T2.
‘We heard the bang at about 6am and didn’t know what it was at first. But when we realised it was a gunshot, it gave us a big fright – I was very frightened,’ a worker told Daily Mail.
‘Luckily, the airport was very quiet at that time and most of the shops here weren’t open yet. We were just opening up.
‘Everyone remained calm and we just stayed inside the shop.’
A second witness told 2GB they were at the other side of the coffee shop when the gun went off, describing the ‘loud’ noise.
‘Everyone hit the deck… I think it was a police gun. I think it was fired during the initial struggle,’ they said.
AFP officers have set up a crime scene and launched an investigation, but say there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Former NSW Police Detective Superintendent Robert Critchlow told Sunrise the incident was ‘extremely rare’ given the heavy security and training officers receive.
‘They carry both pistols and long arms like rifles,’ he said.
‘A lot of training is dedicated to keeping hold of those weapons.
‘The holsters are designed with multiple safety features to stop someone taking them, and long arms are strapped to the body and connected to the officer’s vest.’
Mr Critchlow said it’s ‘almost impossible’ to remove a firearm from the wrong angle, but in a physical struggle, anything can happen.
‘If a gun goes off, someone can get hurt. We’re very lucky no one was injured here. This appears to be a horrible but rare occurrence,’ he said.
Investigations continue.