Police have made two arrests over the death of an African man in Melbourne late last month.
Chadwer Leah, 22, had an altercation with a group of male strangers after leaving a licensed premises on Flinders St at about 1am on September 30, Victoria Police said.
He was allegedly punched and elbowed in the head before being chased by two males, one of whom was brandishing a machete, and jumped into the Yarra River just before 2.50am in an alleged attempt to evade them.
Police said Leah scrambled onto a jetty before falling into the water again and drowning. His body was found in the river at 4pm on October 1.
Detectives from the Missing Persons Squad on Monday arrested two males, an 18-year-old at a home in Collingwood and a 16-year-old in Melton South, and seized a machete from the Collingwood address.
Both were interviewed by police and released pending further enquiries.
Leah was the eldest of eight siblings, and was described by a friend as a “gentle and cheerful soul”.
The arrests came the day after the African Youth Initiative and South Sudanese youth group Nextgen Unite held a sports event in Waverley Park to celebrate Leah’s life.
Mr Leah’s death is the latest in a series of violent alleged incidents involving African youths and machetes in Melbourne and Adelaide.
Header image: Chawder Leah
