MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) \u2014 A 17-year-old boy with a loaded shotgun boarded a plane at an Australian airport before being restrained by a pilot and two passengers, police said Friday. <\/p>\n
The boy was disarmed and detained before police arrived on the scene Thursday at Avalon Airport in Victoria state. <\/p>\n
Barry Clark, a passenger who tackled the suspect, said the boy had posed as a maintenance worker and became agitated when questioned by a flight attendant at the plane\u2019s entrance. <\/p>\n
\u201cI looked up and then within a second I saw the barrel of a shotgun and I thought to myself that ain\u2019t a tool that should be on a plane,\u201d Clark told Network 10 television. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I saw the complete gun I said: we\u2019re in trouble here,\u201d Clark said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThen I saw it (move) towards her chest and so I thought, well, I\u2019ve got to do something \u2014 this is all happening in a matter of seconds,\u201d Clark added. <\/p>\n
Clark, a former professional boxer and sheep shearer, said he snuck up behind the boy then pushed the gun and the flight attendant away in different directions so that she would not be hit if the gun discharged. <\/p>\n
\u201cI then proceeded to do what I had to do and just put him in a bit of a lock, got his hand and twisted it and put it up in his back, threw him to the floor and then put my knee in his back and held him in a position where he couldn\u2019t get out,\u201d Clark said. <\/p>\n
Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Reid told reporters the boy from Ballarat in regional Victoria had climbed through a hole in the airport\u2019s security fence before making his way to the plane\u2019s stairs. <\/p>\n
Reid credited Clark, the pilot and another passenger with restraining the boy. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis would have been a very terrifying incident for the passengers of that plane and Victoria Police really commend the bravery of those passengers who were able to overpower that male,\u201d Reid said. <\/p>\n
Sydney-bound Jetstar Airways Flight 610 was carrying about 150 people and no one was hurt, police said. The flight was cancelled. <\/p>\n
An investigation was being carried out by crime squad detectives with no involvement from the police force\u2019s counterterrorism unit. <\/p>\n
The boy has been charged with multiple offenses including unlawfully taking control of an aircraft, orchestrating a bomb hoax and possessing a firearm, a police statement said. He was remanded in custody to appear in a children\u2019s court on a date to be determined. <\/p>\n
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australian airports had robust security. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis incident is concerning for members of the public. I commend the work of police and aviation officials in responding to it quickly,\u201d Albanese told reporters. <\/p>\n
Avalon Airport\u2019s chief executive Ari Suss said his organization was working with Victoria Police in response to the emergency. <\/p>\n
\u201cAs part of our ongoing commitment to security, we have implemented further measures across the airport, including within the terminal and surrounding areas,\u201d Suss said in a statement. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe continue to work closely with authorities to maintain a safe and secure environment for all travelers,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n
Jetstar, a budget subsidiary of Sydney-based Qantas Airways, said it was working with police and the airport to understand what happened. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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