News Service from House Harris

Vic: Police use car to stop man armed with cleaver, sword

MELBOURNE, July 1 AAP - A police car has knocked over a man wielding a samurai sword and meat cleaver in a stand-off with officers in Melbourne.

Police were called to Taylors Lakes, in Melbourne's northwest, after a call to triple-zero about the armed man at 11.30am (AEST).

A police spokeswoman said that when officers arrived, the man threatened them and urged them to harm him.

He then hit a passing vehicle, using the sword to smash the back windscreen.

Police used capsicum spray and then "blocked" or hit him with the car.

"In a bid to prevent injuries to the offender, police officers and the wider community a police vehicle was used to block the man, forcing him to drop his weapons and fall to the ground," police spokeswoman Alison Noonan said.

"The police vehicle made slight contact with the man. However, he was not injured."

Police seized drugs and other weapons in a search of the man's house.

Acting assistant commissioner Rod Wilson defended the use of the police car.

He said it was not a common practice but had potentially saved the lives of everyone involved and quickly resolved a situation that could have proved fatal.

"The incident unfolded very quickly and the offender was behaving in an erratic and violent manner," Mr Wilson said.

"Adding to this pressure was that the incident occurred next to a busy freeway creating further safety risks to our members and the general public."

A 36-year-old Taylors Lakes man is due to appear in court on Thursday on charges including reckless conduct endangering life, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, assaulting police and drugs and weapons charges.