A 23-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly trying to spear two people during a violent rampage in a remote indigenous community in the Northern Territory.
The Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received a report at about 11.15am on Friday that a man had entered a government facility in Warruwi, on South Goulburn Island off Arnhem Land, and was threatening staff.
Police said the man was armed with an “edged weapon” which he then threw at one employee, striking them in the back, before damaging a company vehicle while leaving.
He allegedly returned and tried to re-enter the building, but was unable to as it had been put in lockdown.
The man then moved on to the Warruwi Clinic where he allegedly threw a spear at two employees before other workers intervened, police said.
The group managed to get to safety while the man allegedly continued to make threats before fleeing the scene.
Police from the nearby community of Maningrida were deployed, and the 23-year-old was arrested and is expected to be charged.
Senior Sergeant Christopher Harden said: “Police will continue to work alongside community leaders, elders and service providers to manage the impact of this incident and maintain community safety.”
No injuries were reported.
The alleged incident comes after a woman was allegedly speared in the head in Angurugu, a small community on Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria, in July.
Header image: Warruwi (Google Maps).
