Swanston Street and Flinders Lane: Man with a knife causes scales Melbourne CBD building

A man armed with a knife has scaled a building in Melbourne’s CBD after being pursued by police. 

Officers were in negotiations with the man after he climbed several stories of scaffolding where the city’s new Town Hall station is being built. 

Police were called to the building site at the corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Lane at about 6.30am on Friday following reports of a man armed with a knife. 

Later in the morning, the man was stretchered out of the construction site and into a waiting ambulance and the incident was resolved. 

The construction site, which is part of Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel project, was evacuated during the drama, with tradesmen milling around while negotiations continued. 

‘Officers received reports of a man armed with a knife at a building site at the corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Lane shortly after 6.30am,’ a police statement said. 

‘Police quickly responded to the scene and deployed capsicum foam while attempting to arrest the man however he fled and climbed several storeys up scaffolding. 

‘Critical Incident Response Team members are now on scene, attempting to negotiate with the man.

‘No injuries have been reported.’