A man has been charged after an incident at Sydney Airport on Wednesday morning in which a police firearm was unintentionally discharged.
The 41-year-old Victorian was arrested in a confrontation with Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers at Sydney Airport at about 6am on Wednesday.
The AFP said in a statement that it responded to a request for assistance from an airline about a man who was acting suspiciously in the T2 domestic terminal.
The AFP said when officers tried to speak to the man, he allegedly became verbally and physically aggressive. As they apprehended him, a police firearm was unintentionally discharged.
The firearm was very low to the ground and was lodged in the oven of the cafe, AFP acting commander Scott Raven said.
The man was arrested and taken to Mascot police station, and has since been charged.
There were no injuries as a result of the incident and no ongoing threat to the public, and the airport did not go into lockdown, police said.
Raven said during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon that police were investigating the circumstances around the weapon being discharged.
Raven declined to detail how the gunfire occurred or whether officers were meant to have a safety feature activated.
"All our AFP officers are professional, highly trained and skilled officers," he said.
Raven said the "alleged actions" of the man and "aggressiveness towards police" had created a "volatile situation".
The man faces two charges under federal law: obstructing or resisting a federal official and creating a disturbance at an airport.
The airport resumed normal operations following the incident. Source: AAP / Bianca De Marchi
A video sent to radio station 2GB showed several people holding a man on the ground, with the network citing a source who claims the man allegedly tried to grab a weapon from an AFP officer.
Sydney Airport said the airport is operating normally following the arrest.
The T2 domestic terminal, which services domestic Jetstar and Virgin Australia flights, with some Rex flights also using the terminal.
Sydney is Australia's busiest airport, handling more than 40 million passengers a year, according to data from the federal transport department.
— With additional reporting from the Australian Associated Press
