Teen charged over violent 'riot' in Woolworths: 'Extremely frightening'
A teenager has been charged over a supermarket rampage after two groups engaged in a terrifying fight at a Darwin Woolworths.
The horrifying ordeal was captured by stunned witnesses standing in front of the supermarket on Tuesday afternoon.
In the chilling vision, a young man can be seen jumping the counter of an unattended cafe in front of the supermarket before he allegedly grabs several knives.
Taking off, he looks to pass one of them to another young man who enters the supermarket.
The camera then pans to inside the shop where the second man can be seen charging at people near the self-service registers as screams ring out and alarms sound.
A pool of red liquid can later be seen on the floor outside the cafe, while shoppers are filmed walking out of the store and staff make phone calls.
It is unclear where the second man is at this time.
The cameraman then leaves the store and picks up the group of about a dozen young people walking down the road and yelling out.
While the violence escalated, the chemist next to Woolworths was quick to pull down its roller doors.
“As I was closing the roller doors people from outside were just trying to run into the pharmacy for their own safety, and they were just really fearful for their lives,” Claire Ross from Blooms The Chemist told ABC Radio Darwin.
She added that one of her staff members, who’d left to take the rubbish out before the commotion began, came face to face with one of the men.
“He came back inside because one of the knife men ran at him,” Ms Ross said.
“He was very shocked so I had to calm him down once I had everyone in there and he was just like, ‘I just couldn't believe it, there was a guy with two knives running at me and I thought I was going to die.”
Teen charged with four offences
Northern Territory Police say the fight was between about 10 people and allegedly involved several knives, describing the violence as "extremely frightening".
"What is very clear from the CCTV is that is was some type of disagreement between two groups of people, and it is very lucky it didn't spill over into the general public," Superintendent James O'Brien said.
"It's appalling behaviour, absolutely appalling, and we do not expect that in our Darwin CBD, let alone anywhere else in the NT."
Fortunately no injuries have been reported.
A 16-year-old has since been charged with four offences including going armed in public, engaging in violent conduct, possessing drugs and breaching his bail.
As police investigations continue, further arrests are expected to be made.
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