A man was arrested following the discharge of a police firearm during a fight at Sydney Airport’s domestic terminal in the early hours of Tuesday morning, causing a temporary security alert but no reported injuries.
Early Morning Fight at Terminal T2
The incident happened at about 6 a.m. at Gate 49 of the T2 terminal. Australian Federal Police (AFP) said the officers were having a confrontation with a man, and a firearm was fired. The area was temporarily secured, but police assured there was no active threat to the public, and operations at the airport returned to normal.
Video footage posted by 2GB radio depicted three officers pinning a man to the ground outside a café. The man allegedly tried to snatch an officer’s gun in the course of the struggle, the outlet was informed by sources. The AFP has opened an investigation into the matter, with the man being held in custody but no charges reported so far.
Eyewitnesses Descriptions of the Chaos
Witnesses described a tense and chaotic scene. William, a bystander and former New South Wales police officer, told 2GB that he was dropping off a friend when he saw two AFP officers grappling with the man.
“The AFP officer’s long firearm went to the ground and ended up underneath the fellow as we went to restrain him. The shot went off,” he said.
Another passenger informed ABC News that he saw “people running” when the gun was fired. Though he was not present when the incident began, he remembered, “When they hit the ground, the gun went off. It appeared the bullet struck the wall of that café there. There were heaps of cops, people running, and Jetstar staff pushing people back.”
No Injuries, Investigation Underway
Airport officials confirmed that nobody was hurt, and operations were not interrupted except for a partial lockdown in the compromised area for a short time. “Sydney Airport is presently helping Australian Federal Police after an event earlier this morning,” an airport official added.
Police have made no comment on the suspect’s identity and stated further information will be released as the investigation continues. The AFP reassured the public that the incident was under control and there was no danger to passengers or crew.
The incident has again raised questions about airport security procedures, especially concerning weapons handling during high-stress interactions in busy terminals.
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