A dramatic early morning police pursuit ended with gunshots fired just meters from Bondi Beach when a police officer opened fire on a stolen Audi after the driver allegedly accelerated toward them.
The incident began around 4am Saturday when police spotted a dark-coloured Audi A1 on Old South Head Road in Rose Bay. The vehicle had been reported stolen from a property in Double Bay the previous night.
According to Detective Superintendent Jodi Radmore, officers initiated a pursuit but abandoned it less than two minutes later due to the vehicle’s “high speed and erratic driving.”
The Audi was later located in the dead-end lane of Sir Thomas Mitchell Road in Bondi, just a block from the famous beach. When an officer approached the vehicle, the 37-year-old driver allegedly accelerated toward the officer, who then fired six shots at the vehicle.
Residents reported hearing an officer yelling “get out of the car” and “get on the ground” followed by multiple gunshots. After allegedly ramming a police vehicle, the driver fled the scene, prompting a manhunt across the eastern suburbs.
The abandoned Audi was discovered around 6:30am on Murriverie Road in North Bondi by a local resident.
The suspect, who is known to police, was located nearby shortly after and taken into custody. He is currently “assisting with inquiries,” according to police. Both the driver and police officers were uninjured in the incident, confirmed after hospital checks.
Superintendent Radmore defended the officer’s approach to the vehicle and use of force, stating: “Police are doing their job to keep people in the community safe.” She added that the incident “shouldn’t be tolerated and should be dealt with the full force of the law.”
The incident disrupted the normally peaceful beachside community, with police tape surrounding the crime scene throughout Saturday morning. Several residents were either delayed in accessing their homes or turned away entirely.
The Audi has been seized for forensic examination. Police are urging anyone with information, CCTV, or dashcam footage from the area between 4am and 6:30am to contact Eastern Suburbs Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Published 19-April-2025
