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Police wound ‘armed’ man and bystander at Melbourne fancy-dress party

A man is fighting for his life in hospital after being shot by police after pulling what appeared to be a handgun at a Melbourne nightclub.

About 40 police responded shortly after 3am on Saturday to what they said were reports that a man armed with a pistol was in an upstairs room of the King Street club in the CBD’s entertainment district.

Melbourne radio station 3AW reported that officers were told by bouncers that the reveller, who was dressed as the Joker from the Batman movies, was not a threat and that the gun was a toy.

Fairfax Media has reported that the wounded man, 35, was engaged in a sex act with the woman when police stormed the dance floor.

The unnamed man’s companion was taken to hospital with a wound to the leg and is listed in satisfactory condition..

The party, promoted as the Saints and Sinners Ball, was billed as “Australia’s raunchiest party”.

A promotional flyer for the swingers ball at the Inflation nightclub in Melbourne.

Victoria Police Superintendent Lisa Hardeman said the man took the gun from his pants and aimed it at police when called upon to disarm.

“I do believe that security were informed that it was a fake gun,” she said.

“That was told to police and that formed part of our planning, but when the firearm was levelled at police and police asked the man to drop it, police at that stage were not aware whether it was an imitation or a real firearm.”

Witnesses said that the man was also Tasered after being struck by at least one bullet in the torso.

Supt. Hardeman declined to confirm if a Taser was deployed after he was shot, saying only a “number of police options were used”.

She also would not be confirm if the purported gun was real or a fake, saying that forensic experts were still studying the scene of the shooting.

“Police fired at the man, hitting him in the torso. He was taken to hospital under police guard,” the statement said.

Detectives will investigate the shooting with oversight by Professional Standards Command as is usual when there has been a police shooting.

-with AAP

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