Police check terror link to Melbourne car ramming that hurt 12
SYDNEY — Australian police were investigating whether there was any terrorism-related motivation behind the car ramming attack on Melbourne pedestrians that left 12 people injured, four of them in critical condition.
Victoria state police Acting Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said on Thursday night that early indications were the driver of the car, a 32-year-old Australian citizen of Afghan descent with a history of drug abuse and mental health issues was not motivated by terrorism. He said the ramming was being treated as a “singular” incident.
On Friday morning, however, Patton said the man had made several utterances while under police guard in hospital on Thursday night, including mentioning poor treatment of Muslims, and that police were still exploring terrorism as a possible motive.
“He spoke about dreams, he spoke about voices but he also did attribute some of his actions to the poor treatment of Muslims,” Patton told the Channel Nine television network on Friday.
Asked if there were links to terrorism, he said: “That’s certainly one area we’re exploring in respect to motivation.”
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also reiterated that “no terrorism link has been identified” but that “nothing should be ruled out.”
“This was a despicable and cowardly act,” Turnbull said. “But I want to reassure Australians that this is an isolated incident. We should continue to go about our daily lives the way we always do.”
Patton said the man, who ran a red light and drove a white SUV into pedestrians crossing central Melbourne’s busy Flinders Street before crashing into a traffic barrier around 4:45 p.m. Thursday, was not known to intelligence agencies.
He said the man would undergo psychiatric assessment, with police hoping to formally interview him this afternoon.