Esperance bus incident resolved peacefully after evacuation

Date: April 8 2017

An incident in Esperance on Friday afternoon which caused police to evacuate the town centre has been resolved peacefully with a 56-year-old man charged. 

Earlier in the day, a police negotiator was called in to speak with the man who was in a bus "acting erratically" and causing a threat to public safety. 

The man - who parked a private bus next to the Boulevard Shopping Centre - began acting in an unpredictable manner, threatening to blow the bus up. 

"[He] has made a number of statements to police at the scene that have us concerned for his welfare," a police spokesman said on Friday. 

The matter was resolved within three hours and the man, of no fixed address, was taken to hospital for a medical assessment at 6.30pm. 

He was later charged with 'statement creating false apprehensions as to existence of threat of danger' and was refused bail to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on Sunday.

Police said despite the man's statements that "indicated the public may be in danger", there was no threat found after the man was arrested. 

The incident occurred in the town's centre in the vicinity of the intersection of Windich Street, Forrest Street and James Street in Esperance.

- with Caitlyn Rintoul / Esperance Express