Man locked in a tense 10-hour siege with cops posts bizarre videos during the ordeal
Bizarre videos have emerged of a man accusing police of ‘terrorizing’ residents during a ten-hour siege.
Max Freedom Pollard, 31, is believed to have been involved in a standoff on Tuesday after heavily armed police stormed an apartment on Dudley Street in Coogee in Sydney’s east.
Officers armed with guns and even a chainsaw surrounded the apartment building just before 11am after reports of welfare concerns.
Pollard was arrested after police entered his unit around 8:20 p.m.
He was charged with several firearms offences, including possession of an unauthorized pistol and prohibited firearms, and failing to keep firearms safely.
During the day-long police operation, Pollard filmed several videos of himself before uploading the clips to Instagram.
‘Attached are excerpts from the botched NSW Police raid on my top floor apartment in Coogee, Australia. They are doing their best and are still trying as I type this,” he wrote.
“They terrorize Coogee, attack and evade the Australian judiciary and the Commonwealth government, and brag about it.”
Pollard accused police in one video of using snipers, which he said “scared the entire community.”
Max Freedom Pollard, 31 (pictured) was arrested on Tuesday and charged with multiple firearms offenses following a 10-hour siege in Sydney’s eastern suburbs
Pollard also filmed armed tactical officers in the stairwell of the Coogee unit complex
He also uploaded a video of an armed tactical officer climbing the apartment stairwell and a video he filmed of his interaction with a police sniper.
The officer who detained the sniper was seen standing on the roof of an apartment across from the unit where Pollard lives.
Pollard is heard telling the tactical officer that he had no firearms.
The officer could be heard telling Pollard, “we’re here for you,” before telling him to leave the apartment.
“We are here for you, we are concerned for your well-being, so go to the front,” the officer said.
Pollard responded, “The sniper rifle is a little intimidating. I’m not going to lie.
“Just to be clear, I don’t have any firearms…I had them and I gave them up because I don’t want firearms.”
In another video, a police officer and his female colleague were seen entering the unit “for a chat” with Pollard.
Pollard filmed several interactions with police, including one involving a police sniper (pictured) standing on the roof of an apartment across from Pollard’s unit.
Police were called to the streets on Tuesday morning after reports of concerns about welfare
The male officer told Pollard that a concerned neighbor had accused him of sending text and WhatsApp messages.
The officer informed Pollard that he had received a warrant to vacate the apartment in November.
Pollard was treated by paramedics before being taken to the Prince of Wales Hospital for further treatment.
After he was arrested, police reportedly seized two illegal firearms and a ballistic vest.
Pollard was refused bail when he appeared at Waverley Local Court on Wednesday.
No plea was entered and the case will return to court next month.
Pollard claims on his LinkedIn to have worked for Harvard University as a staff member for the Australian Crime Intelligence Commission and as a ‘security equipment specialist’.
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