Collie Police Senior Sergeant Heath Soutar has warned the community not to take the law into its own hands after several people were charged over retaliation incidents during the past week.
Senior Sergeant Soutar said police had charged a 28-year-old Collie man with being armed in public and making threats, and are investigating several more people in relation to three incidents on January 31.
He said police had received a report that all the windows on a Toyota Hilux in a Roberts Street driveway had been smashed at 5am, before the owners of the vehicle were allegedly involved in an incident with the 28-year-old man in Johnston Street just an hour later.
At 12pm that same day, the people were allegedly involved in another incident in Roberts Street, which resulted in the charges being laid against the 28-year-old male.
Senior Sergeant Soutar said there was also another similar incident in Johnston Street, where several individuals, who were all related, allegedly kicked in the front door of a property and smashed windows.
He said two men from Collie – a 43-year-old and a 21-year-old – had been charged with burglary and criminal damage and were remanded in custody. The 21-year-old man was also charge with breaching protected bail conditions.
He also said police were investigating the involvement of four other individuals, with further charges likely.
“From a police perspective, we don’t want people taking the law into their own hands,” he said.
“If you take the law into your own hands and there’s evidence you’ve committed offences, you will be charged and face the judicial system.”
Senior Sergeant Soutar said family violence was also a serious concern for police, with charges laid as a result of two incidents.
A 19-year-old Collie man was charged with two counts of aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm and one charge of criminal damage over an alleged incident involving his partner at a Wylam Road address on February 2.
Police also charged a 50-year-old Collie man with breaching a violence restraining order and disorderly behaviour, as well as a 56-year-old female with disorderly behaviour and obstructing police in relation to an alleged incident in Vernon Street on February 4.
Police are also looking for information about a petrol drive-off from Caltex at 7.45pm on January 30.
Senior Sergeant Soutar said police had CCTV footage that allegedly showed a silver Mitsubishi 380 sedan fill up with $65 worth of petrol and leave without paying.
He said police were also investigating an alleged assault outside the Club Hotel at midnight on February 1.