A 19-year-old man on bail has been arrested in Bruce after a coordinated ACT Policing operation caught him trying to evade police in a stolen vehicle after a series of aggravated burglaries on Saturday night, 30 July. 

ACT Policing General Duties, Proactive Intervention and Diversion Team, Major Crime, Road Policing and Territory Targeting Team officers worked through the night to capture the man who police will allege broke into houses, damaged property, stole a vehicle and assaulted multiple people in Macquarie and Scullin. 

The capture of the man forms part of a newly established ACT Policing taskforce targeting high-risk driving behaviours and stolen vehicles which are often used in the carriage of other crimes such as burglaries and assaults. 

About 7pm, ACT Policing officers received reports of three men attempting to break into a residence in Macquarie. The men used a chair to try break into the windows of the residence, knocking over pot plants and snapping off vehicle mirrors. The resident who was inside was unharmed but alerted police to the damage and attempted break-in.   

Moments later, police will allege another Macquarie resident walking home was forcibly confined by the same three men and taken to a nearby residence where he was assaulted and had various items stolen. The man was able to escape and sought assistance from nearby shopping centre security guards who then alerted police.  

Police later received reports that a man, who was waiting to collect his daughter from a party in Scullin, had been dragged from his parked vehicle by one of the trio before it was stolen and driven away.   

Concurrently, police operators received a call from a woman in Scullin who had been assaulted by one of the trio out the front of her residence when she exited her vehicle after returning home. The man assaulted the woman in an attempt to get her keys and followed her into her residence by forcing the door open before fleeing the scene.   

Coordinating all available resources, and in response to the above reports, at about 11pm ACT Policing officers attempted to stop a suspicious vehicle along Belconnen Way. The driver failed to stop and police engaged in a short pursuit, however, it was terminated due to concerns for public safety.   

Shortly after, police then re-engaged in another pursuit with the same vehicle but were forced to terminate when the driver reached excessive and extremely dangerous speeds in O’Connor (including reaching 150km/h in a 60km/h zone).    

The driver then collided with a parked car when he crossed onto the wrong side of the road, still travelling at excessive speeds. The driver did not stop when he hit the parked vehicle.  

Officers then saw the vehicle on Barry Drive, Acton, where it reached speeds of 100km/h in a 80km/h zone. At this time, police observed the rear tyres to be disintegrated with sparks and rubber flying from the rear, leaving gouges imprinted on the road.   

The driver entered the University of Canberra campus, using footpaths and median strips, before police conducted a coordinated response, ultimately trapping the 19-year-old before having to deploy capsicum spray to subdue him.   

The man underwent breath analysis and returned a reading of 0.139, making him a high range drink driver who was also driving on a disqualified licence.    

He was subsequently arrested and transported to the ACT Watch House. He has been charged with attempted robbery (assault and theft), damaging property, failing to stop, dangerous driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, crashing a vehicle / not providing details, and driving while disqualified. 

Further charges are pending and enquiries are continuing into the identity of the other two men believed to be involved.   

The 19-year-old is set to appear in the ACT Magistrates Court today where police will oppose bail.

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