Man charged following arrest by off-duty officer in Laverton

A man has been charged following an arrest by an off-duty Victoria Police officer who intervened after a man allegedly assaulted two men in Laverton on Saturday afternoon.

The victim, a 34-year-old Laverton man, was waiting for a train at a railway station on Railway Avenue when he was approached by the offender about 2.15pm.

The offender allegedly struck him multiple times with a small knife before the victim managed to escape and call Triple Zero (000).

The Laverton man sustained minor injuries.

It is alleged the offender boarded a train and assaulted a second victim, a 23-year-old Point Cook man.

The off-duty senior constable, who was on his way to an ANZAC Day service, witnessed the assault and intervened by taking the offender to the ground.

The offender was held down by the senior constable until officers arrived.

The member sustained a minor injury during the incident, and the Point Cook man was not injured.

The 41-year-old Geelong man was taken into custody to be interviewed.

He was charged with:

• intentionally cause injury
• recklessly cause injury
• reckless conduct endangering serious injury
• assault with weapon
• criminal damage
• commit indictable offence whilst on bail

He faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court where he was remanded in custody and will re-appear today.

Quotes attributable to Acting Inspector Kim Bramwell, Local Area Commander of Stonnington Police Service Area:

“Without the actions of the off-duty member, this incident could have resulted in further harm to commuters on Saturday.

Despite being off duty, the member still demonstrated courage and professionalism which are central to what we stand for as police officers.

I commend him for his quick-thinking and dedication to keeping the public safe.”

Media Unit
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