Two men in possession of a fake police badge will front court after allegedly carrying a replica gun in Sydney’s busy Entertainment Quarter on Monday, sparking widespread panic.
Police converged on Sydney’s Moore Park Entertainment Quarter at about 4.45pm on Monday, following reports of a man carrying a firearm.
Officers, including some in tactical gear, surrounded two men as confused shoppers ran for cover.
Two men, aged 35 and 39, were arrested, with police seizing a replica firearm, bulletproof vest, fake police badge, plastic handcuffs and a cardboard box labelled ‘Hard Drugs’ – handwritten with marker pen in large, comical font.
Both were taken to Surry Hills Police Station where during a search of the older man, police say they found prohibited drugs.
The older man was charged with possession of a prohibited drug and will face court on August 20.
The 35-year-old man was charged with possessing an unregistered, unauthorised pistol in a public place and behaving in an offensive manner in a public place.
He was refused bail and will face court on Tuesday.
Two men in possession of a fake police badge will front court after allegedly carrying a replica gun inside Sydney’s busy Entertainment Quarter
Police seized a replica firearm, bulletproof vest, fake police badge, plastic handcuffs and a cardboard box labelled ‘Hard Drugs’
One of the men was allegedly seen with a fake weapon taped to his chest
Nearby restaurants and schools went into lockdown during the police operation to keep the public safe.
‘My friend saw out of the corner of his eye a man coming forward,’ one woman told Nine News.
‘We saw a gun on his chest but we were like, “Is he wearing a costume? Is it real?” It looked like a pistol.
‘It was really scary. I’ve never seen something like that happen in real life, so it was terrifying.’
Several people posted video of the incident to social media including former Kyle & Jackie O Show producer ‘Intern’ Pete Deppeler, who posted a clip which showed around 20–30 police officers swarming the area.
‘Something going down in Moore Park Sydney right now,’ Mr Deppeler captioned the video.
‘Overheard after police put a couple of blokes to ground, “It’s a costume man”.
Close to Allianz Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Moore Park entertainment precinct spans over 11 hectares, with cinemas, restaurants, bars and shops.
