Man charged over allegedly setting car alight and ramming it into Merrylands police station

A man has been charged after setting a car alight in the driveway of Merrylands police station in Sydney’s west on Thursday night.

The 61-year-old allegedly parked his car in the driveway, and as officers approached, ignited gas bottles inside the vehicle, setting the vehicle and himself ablaze.

Police allege the man then drove down the driveway and into the roller door of the car park under station.

The man suffered serious burns and was taken to Royal North Shore hospital, where he remains under police guard in a stable condition.

He faces charges of destroying or damaging property with intention of endangering life.

A NSW police spokesperson said “police will be seeking a bedside court hearing in the coming days” depending on the man’s condition.

Detectives raided the man’s property yesterday, and seized a computer and more LPG gas bottles.

Police also released CCTV footage of the attack yesterday.

The Merrylands police station has previously been the target of threats.

In November, a student from Arthur Phillip High School in Parramatta was charged after allegedly posting on social media that he wanted Merryland police officers to “burn in hell”.  The school is the same one attended by 15-year-old Farhad Jabar, who fatally shot police accountant Curtis Cheng last October.

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione warned police to remain extra vigilant yesterday.

“We live in a different day, at this stage, we know on the back of what we’ve seen internationally that police are at a significant risk,”  Mr Scipione said.

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