A man has been tasered and pepper-sprayed twice after he allegedly tried to hijack a coach with 40 elderly passengers onboard and drive it away from the depot.
Emergency services rushed to the terminal on Franklin Street in Adelaide’s CBD after reports an intoxicated man had entered the coach at about 5.45am on Saturday.
SA Police said the 28-year-old man was in the driver’s seat of the bus in an agitated state when they arrived and repeatedly refused to leave the vehicle.
When police tried to remove him from the driver’s seat, two officers were allegedly repeatedly punched in the head, police said in a statement.
Witnesses have since alleged the man tried to take a female officer’s gun in the fray.
‘Police used capsicum spray in an attempt to subdue the man, however it was unsuccessful, and he continued to attempt to drive the bus,’ police said.
‘Officers arrived on scene to assist and a third member was kicked to the head and he suffered a split lip.’
A police dog was called in to help remove the man from the bus but was also allegedly assaulted, while his handler was allegedly punched in the face.
A number of police officers were injured following the incident in Adelaide on Saturday (paramedics and police are pictured at the scene at Franklin Street terminal)
‘Capsicum spray was used a second time on the man, and he was successfully removed from the bus and arrested,’ police said.
The man was taken to hospital to receive medical attention.
He is expected to be charged with four counts of assaulting an emergency worker, attempting illegal use and resisting arrest.
Two officers were also taken to hospital after one suffered an eye injury and a second sustained a head injury. No passengers on the bus were injured.
Pastor Peggy Renata said she feared there would have been fatalities if it weren’t for the work of police.
‘We had a bus full elderly people about to depart Adelaide and an [allegedly] mentally sick man on the bus that appeared to be completely naked,’ she said.
‘A very violent brawl broke out on the bus … the police officers who entered the bus were violently attacked.’
She said one policewoman thought her jaw was completely broken and another cop’s eyes were gouged, rendering him immobile.
Steven Egel, 67, said passengers thought the man was going to put the bus into gear and start driving away from the terminal.
‘(It was) pretty bad. I jumped up and tried to help. I grabbed hold of him and grabbed hold of his arm to get him back to stop him,’ he said.
Witnesses said the man had repeatedly said he wanted to go to Geelong and grew agitated when he was asked to leave the bus.
They said elderly passengers were left gagging by police’s pepper spray.