Footage shows moment cops confront woman allegedly armed with accelerant at servo
Victoria Police has defended the actions of officers who used batons and Tasers during a dramatic arrest at a Melbourne petrol station overnight.
Officers were called to a 7-Eleven on Punt Road in Windsor about 12.30am, where they allege a woman armed with a makeshift flame thrower assaulted an attendant before setting a fire inside the store.
Footage shows the woman directing flames, allegedly created with an aerosol can and a lighter, at a staff member's face, before lighting up a pile of wood inside the shop.
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Footage shows the woman directing flames, allegedly created with an aerosol can and a lighter, at a staff member's face, before lighting up a pile of wood inside the shop. Nine
Footage has been released showing police officers confronting a woman during an arrest. Nine
Vision has emerged of police attempting to arrest the suspect.
When she resisted arrest, police kicked and struck her with a baton, before she was tasered and arrested.
"Someone was screaming 'get down, get down' and I ran out and I looked and I saw someone get Tased," witness Matt Young said.
"It would've blown up my business. It would've blown up, probably, the apartment."
Another man who witnessed the incident described the incident as scary.
The 46-year-old woman was arrested and has since been charged. Nine
"The police came within a minute and tried to stop this girl, because the fire at a service station is very dangerous," he said.
"They came to stop this girl."
Despite confronting vision of arrest, Victoria Police acting superintendent Josh Tink defended the actions of the officers who responded to the incident.
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Emergency services were at the scene within minutes. Nine
"Based on my conversation with the professional standards command, they're comfortable with the actions of the members," Tink said.
"She was obviously metres away from live petrol bowsers at that time, as well and ...officers needed to address that immediately."
The fire was extinguished and the service station suffered minor damage.
The 46-year-old woman has been charged criminal damage, theft, resisting police and assault.
She has been bailed to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on May 2.
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