A 28-year-old man at the centre of yesterday’s dramatic arrest in East Perth, where shots were fired and a motorist was allegedly held at gunpoint, has made a brief appearance in court via videolink from hospital.Key points:Joshua Gomez remains in hospital after Monday’s carjacking incidentHe is charged with a string of offences including deprivation of libertyPolice say he has links to the Mongols bikie gang
Joshua Alban Gomez was not required to plead to the string of charges he is facing, including being armed in a way that may cause fear, aggravated armed robbery and deprivation of liberty.
Heavily armed police arrested Mr Gomez after the alleged carjacking on the Graham Farmer Freeway, during which the motorist in his 60s was injured.
Several shots were fired during the incident, with officers from the WA Police Tactical Response Group using two four-wheel drives to stop the stolen car.
Mr Gomez was taken from the scene by ambulance, along with the motorist, and both remain in stable conditions in hospital.
Mr Gomez’s lawyer, who said she was sitting by his bedside, requested that the matter be adjourned for a week so she could review the material she had been provided by police and to give her client legal advice.
There was no application for bail and Mr Gomez was remanded in custody until he appears in court again next Tuesday.
Magistrate Angus Hockton asked if Mr Gomez would eventually be making a bail application, but his lawyer said she could not say.
She said she believed her client may be a “schedule two” defendant — a person charged with committing a serious offence whilst on bail for other serious charges.
Tactical response officers called in
Police have confirmed Mr Gomez has links to the Mongol bikie gang and have revealed more details of how the dramatic events unfolded yesterday.
Assistant Commissioner for state crime Brad Royce told ABC Perth Radio the police response was scaled up when they learned he allegedly had a handgun.
“We brought in some experts,” he said.
“TRG [Tactical Response Group] were dispatched to the scene.
“The young officers ended up cordoning off the area, came across him another time and again he managed to get away.
“Eventually he ran onto the Graham Farmer Freeway and that’s when TRG arrived at the scene and they’re our most practised at this sort of thing and they put an end to it quite quickly.”
There were gun shells strewn across the freeway yesterday as police collected evidence.
Mongols bikie gang links probed
Assistant Commissioner Royce said police discharged their firearms and an internal review would determine exactly how many shots were fired and by whom.
Gang squad officers were also at the scene on the freeway yesterday and police have been investigating Mr Gomez’s apparent links to organised crime.
“We are suggesting there are links to outlaw motorcycle gangs, in this case the Mongols,” Assistant Commissioner Royce said. Police say they do not know what sparked the incident in East Perth.(ABC News: Keane Bourke)
He did not know what had sparked the incident but was confident police would find out.
“As is usually the case they don’t like talking to us too much on camera,” he said. “But I’m sure we’ll find out eventually through other club members or people who might be in the know.”
He signaled police would confront the Mongols over what had happened.
“‘We’ve made it quite clear in the past over the last couple of years, if they come into our community and cause trouble, we’ll come into theirs,” he said.
“So we will be talking to the Mongols, yes.”
