A man has been charged after dramatic scenes in Melbourne’s CBD, where he was captured on CCTV walking with an imitation firearm and smoking a cigarette, moments before a chaotic police chase ended in his arrest.

Tactical police arrested the 48-year-old from Hoppers Crossing just after 8.45am on Tuesday in a laneway off Bourke Street, near Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar. The arrest followed a series of alleged carjackings in Tarneit and North Melbourne.

Witnesses saw police swarming down laneways, some in camouflage gear, and a man running through a building lobby, as Air Wing helicopters hovered overhead.

Speaking to reporters following the incident, Inspector Emma Lobb confirmed there was no ongoing risk to the public. The 48-year-old man was injured during the arrest and police recovered

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