Specialist police squads and local police played a 15-hour waiting game in blistering heat at Yarra Junction last week.By Kath Gannaway
A 15-HOUR siege at Yarra Junction last week ended without incident.
A Yarra Junction man was arrested when he left the Hoddle Street house in which he had barricaded himself since the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The incident ended about 4.15pm. Police from Warburton, Lilydale and Mooroolbark went to the house about 1.30am following a report of a disturbance.
Members of the Special Operations Group and the Critical Incident Response Team were called in when the man, who was alone in the house, refused to come out.
An armoured vehicle circled the house several times during the siege and an ambulance was on standby as police negotiators talked to the man over a loudspeaker.
Police initially blocked off Hoddle Street but later screened cars, allowing only residents in and out of the dead-end road.
Knox District Divisional Superintendent Andrew Crisp told the Mail less than an hour before the arrest that police would continue to negotiate for as long as necessary with the man to achieve a peaceful resolution.
Supt Crisp said the man sustained some injuries during the incident and was taken to Maroondah Hospital.
Lilydale CIB is investigating the event.
No charges had been laid when the Mail went to press.
