A 40-year-old Windang man will face court on Monday charged with multiple offences over a shooting and siege situation in which bullets were allegedly fired in the street and a shop owner taken hostage.
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Police were called to Windang Road just before 9.30am on Sunday to reports of shots being fired.
Police were told a man - armed with two firearms - had fired a number of shots at passing vehicles and pedestrians, before barricading himself inside nearby Windang Dive & Spearfishing.
The store owner was allegedly held inside the premises by the man, before being released safely and without injury.
Officers, together with the tactical squad, police negotiators and dog unit, established a perimeter.
Following negotiations, a 40-year-old man surrendered to police and was taken into custody just before 10.30am.
He was taken to Lake Illawarra Police Station.
A crime scene was established at the dive shop, and at a home at Windang, which was examined by specialist forensic officers and police from the bomb squad.
During a search of the home, officers seized two unsecured firearms, five gel blaster firearms, military knives, six replica handguns, a police uniform, and child abuse material.
The Windang man was charged with fire firearm at dwelling-house with disregard for safety, fire firearm manner likely injure persons/property, take/detain person with intent to obtain advantage, use unregistered firearm - prohibited firearm, not keep firearm safely - not pistol/prohibited firearm, and possess child abuse material.
The man was refused bail and is due to appear at Wollongong Local Court on Monday, November 29.
Read more Illawarra court and crime stories here.
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