By Olivia Ireland and Sarah Keoghan
A man who allegedly struck a woman in the head and pointed a replica handgun at her during a brawl in a western Sydney shopping centre has been charged over the incident.
Emmanuel Saatoese, 20, was arrested after police responded to reports of a fight at Westfield Mount Druitt on Monday afternoon.
On arrival, police were told two women had been fighting before Saatoese intervened, allegedly striking one woman in the head before pointing a replica handgun at her.
Footage shows a crowd surrounding two women and what appears to be the 20-year-old shoving one woman down and holding the replica handgun to her head.
However, one of the woman involved defended the actions of Saatoese, saying a large group of women had come to the shopping centre to attack her.
“I remember getting hit, I remember them pulling my hair. Then I remember someone scratching my face and then someone on top of me,” the woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told Nine News.
The woman involved in the fight, who wished to remain anonymous. Credit: Nine News
“He tried stopping it, he tried telling them to go away or to talk it out.
“If he hadn’t stepped it I genuinely believe it just would have gotten worse.”
Saatoese was arrested nearby a short time later. Police will allege they found a replica handgun when they searched the Wilmott man.
Police took Saatoese to Mount Druitt Police Station and charged him with seven offences including possessing a prohibited drug, possessing an unauthorised pistol in public place and carrying a firearm in a manner likely to injure.
Emmanuel Saatoese, is set to face court on Tuesday for allegedly threatening shoppers with a replica handgun in Mt Druitt.Credit: Nine
Police also arrested Ropes Crossing man Jeremiah Yap, 20, and took him to Mount Druitt Police Station.
Officers later searched a home in Ropes Crossing where they allegedly found a second replica handgun in a bedroom.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Tickner said the two men were not known to police before the incident.
“Obviously, it’s a serious offence producing what appeared to be a real firearm to those people up at the food court. He pointed it at the girl, and then he pointed it up at the crowd making threats,” Tickner said on Tuesday.
“There was approximately 40 to 50 people there at the time, so everyone just fled in different directions.”
Yap was charged with four offences – supplying an unregistered firearm, possessing an unregistered firearm, not keeping a firearm safe and possessing a prohibited drug.
Both Saatoese and Yap were refused bail when they appeared in Mount Druitt Local Court on Tuesday.
The two men will reappear in court on August 23.
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