Surrounded: Members of the Victoria Police Critical Incident Response Team surround the Napier Street unit. PICTURE: LACHLAN BENCE
A REGULAR Saturday morning was thrown into chaos for many Black Hill residents who were forced to stay in their homes or leave for more than five hours while the Napier Street siege unfolded.
The sight of Critical Incident Response Team officers carrying machine guns was enough for most residents to leave the area, while police also warned residents to stay clear of the scene.
Janelle Bassett, who lives directly opposite the unit at the centre of the drama, said she was taking her children to her mother’s house “to get them away from the chaos”.
“The kids are only four and six, so it’s really not something that they should have to see,” Ms Bassett said.
“It’s a very scary situation.”
Another resident in Nicholson Street said she had witnessed an alleged altercation around 8am when she was driving to get the Saturday newspapers.
“It was pretty scary then and the situation has only become worse now,” she said.
“I’ll be keeping my family well away from it.”
Some people did choose to stay in the area and watch the siege unfold.
Two men from nearby Sherrard Street stood back and watched for four hours as police tried to talk the man out of the unit.
“We were planning on going to the beach,” one man said.
“But it’s too hard to leave, we don’t want to miss any of the action.”
patrick.byrne@fairfaxmedia.com.au