A crazed African man shot by police in Melbourne on the weekend was among almost 300 criminals released from immigration detention by Australia’s left-wing Labor government.
Masi Ayiik, 33, faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday charged with reckless conduct endangering serious injury, common assault, assaulting police and four counts of resisting police for allegedly charging at police with a metal pole in Doveton on Saturday morning.
Ayiik was shot in the armpit and remanded in custody after allegedly breaching five sets of bail, and on Monday again sought bail but had his case adjourned to Tuesday, the Herald Sun reported.
The Sudanese refugee had been facing deportation along with 291 other serious criminals, including murders, rapists and paedophiles, but was set free by Labor following a 2023 High Court ruling that the indefinite detention of Rohingya child rapist NZYQ was unlawful.
Since his release he has allegedly released on bail five times and was supposed to have been wearing an ankle bracelet but had cut it off.
His charges included family violence offences, residential breaches, failing to appear in court and 21 breaches of his reporting conditions, Nine News reported.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked about the case on Monday, and claimed his party wanted “these people out of the country”, but Opposition leader Peter Dutton it was Australians were seeing the “disastrous consequences of NZYQ play out”.
Victoria Police said they arrived at a home in Doveton in the city’s southeast at 9am on Saturday after neighbours reported an argument between a man and a woman, but the pair had already left.
At 10.30am they were called back to the government housing property where they tried to speak with the Ayiik, but he grabbed a metal pole and “aggressively” ran at police, chasing them 30 metres down the street before a shot was fired, police said.
The 33-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to his armpit area, and police also used OC spray to eventually arrest and handcuff him, before pouring a bucket of water on him to ease the effects of the spray.
Victoria Police Acting Commander Southern Metropolitan Region Wayne Viney said Ayiik was of a large build, and caused the officers to fear for their lives.
“Whilst being arrested, he broke free from police members, chased police members down the street with this large metal pole,” he said.
“One of the members, fearing for the life and safety of the other police members … that male was shot. To go to the extreme lengths of shooting someone, yes, they would have feared for their own safety.”
Neighbours said police were regularly called to the home, which was piled with rubbish and had smashed windows.
Police said an investigation into the incident was underway with oversight by Professional Standards Command, as is normal practice when a police firearm is discharged.
Header image: Left, Ayik after his arrest. Right, Masi Ayiik (Nine News).
