Worker stabbed while detaining knife-wielding man at Melbourne shopping centre

A worker is recovering in hospital after he was allegedly stabbed in the neck while trying to stop a knife-wielding man outside a Melbourne shopping centre.

The 44-year-old Essendon man, who works inside Moonee Ponds Central in Melbourne’s inner north-west, had crossed the road about 4.30pm yesterday to buy a banh mi when he spotted a 55-year-old man wielding a knife.

After confronting the 55-year-old, the 44-year-old worker was allegedly stabbed in the chest and neck. What’s with the ‘allegedly’? He’s in hospital with stab wounds. The culprit is ‘alleged’. The victim has prima facie wounds.

Passersby and security rushed to help the worker perform a citizen’s arrest, while the alleged offender yelled out “Allahu Akbar”, which is Arabic for “God is great”, police said.

Acting Inspector Raj Tillekeratne said the state’s counterterrorism command had been contacted and police had “nothing to indicate that this is either religiously or politically motivated” so were treating it as “random, isolated offending”. So what do they think Allah Akbar is?  They fool nobody.

The alleged offender has been charged with recklessly or intentionally causing injury and assault with a weapon. He was remanded in custody and will appear in court today.

CCTV has emerged of another incident on the other side of the shopping centre around the same time yesterday.

Cafe patrons were seen holding a door shut as a man punched the door while brandishing a knife. He was taken down by bystanders who used a chair to push him to the ground outside the cafe. Police say this is a different man and a separate incident and they are continuing to investigate.

Police will increase patrols in the area.