Two ‘police officers’ charged after fake gun stunt at Sydney stadium
Two men have been charged after a stunt involving a replica firearm and fake police badge caused widespread panic at a busy Sydney shopping and entertainment precinct. Police, including tactical officers, swarmed Moore Park Entertainment Quarter on Monday afternoon after reports of a man carrying a gun, prompting frightened shoppers to flee the scene before the pair were arrested.
Officers arrested the men, aged 35 and 39, and seized a replica firearm, a bulletproof vest, a fake police badge, plastic handcuffs and a cardboard box crudely labelled "Hard Drugs" in marker pen. Both were taken to Surry Hills Police Station, where a search of the older man reportedly turned up prohibited drugs, and the pair are now set to face court.
- Two men staged a fake police/gun stunt in Sydney
- Incident at Moore Park sparked panic among shoppers
- Replica gun, fake badge and drugs seized; men charged
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Two men have been charged after allegedly staging a stunt involving a fake gun and a bogus police badge at Moore Park Entertainment Quarter, a large shopping, dining and entertainment complex near several major Sydney sporting venues. The site is normally full of shoppers and visitors, so a report of an armed man triggered a major police response, including specialist tactical officers, and sent people fleeing in fear before the two were arrested.
The men, aged 35 and 39, are accused of impersonating police and had a replica firearm, a bulletproof vest, a fake badge, plastic handcuffs and a box labelled to suggest it contained illegal drugs. Their exact motive for the stunt has not been made clear in reporting so far.
The case matters because it highlights how quickly panic can spread in a crowded public space over what turned out to be fake weapons and props, and it raises questions about the resources and risk involved when police must treat such reports as genuine threats until proven otherwise. The two men are now due to face court over the incident.