A man is in custody after ramming a car containing accelerant into the underground car park of Sydney’s Merrylands Police Station.
The man, believed to be in his 60s, was apprehended by police officers at gunpoint around 8pm after allegedly attempting to light himself and the car on fire.
He suffered burns during the incident, but no officers nor members of the public were injured. The man was taken to a burns unit for treatment in what has been described as a serious condition.
Police and other emergency crews continue to patrol the scene, while Rescue and Bomb Disposal officers are investigating the vehicle.
The area around the station on Memorial Avenue remains cordoned off.
Fairfax reports a police source said the station was targeted specifically.
Police source says Merrylands incident was a “very deliberate attack” on that police station. pic.twitter.com/y6WrPaE6nu
— Nick Ralston (@NickDRalston) July 21, 2016
Man involved in Merrylands incident known to police but not believed to have had any known links to a terrorist org, police source says.
— Nick Ralston (@NickDRalston) July 21, 2016
Despite an earlier report from ABC’s Siobhan Fogarty, citing a police source who said the event was a failed terror attack, Assistant Commissioner Dennis Clifford told the media there is nothing to indicate tonight’s incident was related to terrorism.
However, Clifford said all lines of enquiry were still open. In a written statement, NSW Police said “the circumstances regarding the incident are in the early stages of being confirmed.”
We’ll update this story as it develops.
Source: ABC / Sydney Morning Herald / NSW Police.
Photo: @siscochile / Twitter.
