Bombers president at the centre of 'extremely chaotic' citizens arrest in Gold Coast hours before team's clash against Suns
Updated . First published at
Hours before his club's clash against the Gold Coast Suns, Essendon Bombers president Andrew Welsh was at the centre of 'chaotic' citizen's arrest on the Gold Coast.
Welsh was having dinner on Friday night before the Round 6 game with Essendon CEO Tim Roberts and club sponsors and witnessed a white Ford ranger ute drive through a nearby bus stop and then a light pole.
Welsh then performed a citizen's arrest by grabbing the driver, who was aiming to flee the scene, and tackled him to the ground around 7.30pm.
READ MORE: Careful': Slater's warning to Fittler over huge Storm call
READ MORE: Bozza's case for Arsenal as ultimate 'bottle job' test awaits
READ MORE: Cleary's 'shank' defies Dolphins in golden point thriller
The ute that Andrew Welsh saw in Broadbeach. News Corp Australia
With assistance from another bystander in Broadbeach, the pair stopped the male from running and got him on the ground in front of stunned onlookers before police could arrive on the scene.
"Then we saw people running over to the bus stop," a witness told News Corp.
"There were two people who performed a citizen's arrest and had their knees on his back.
"It was an extremely chaotic scene but the police arrived within minutes.
Andrew Welsh. Getty
"How no one was in the path of the ute blows my mind."
Essendon fought valiantly on Saturday against the Gold Coast, ultimately falling short by nine points in a 119-110 shoot out.
It was a back-and-forth affair, but the Suns ultimately had too much firepower at People's First Stadium.
The Dons will sweat on a calf injury suffered by defender Jordan Ridley, who had only just returned from a previous run of soft tissue injuries.
They now prepare to take on Collingwood on Anzac Day next Saturday.
