An off-road police chase has ended in arrest after the assailant's car became wedged on a footpath between a bus-stop and a building.
Police had been searching for the 26-year-old man since last Sunday, June 19, when he allegedly sexually assaulted and robbed a 22-year-old woman in a motel room in Sydney's CBD.
Police allege he had a firearm during the assault.
After an investigation, police say they tried to stop a silver Ford sedan on Bondi Road at 11.30am on Saturday.
Police allege the man did not stop. Witnesses say the vehicle was driven off Orr Street, through a park and along the footpath of Old South Head Road, before crashing into a bus-stop and the wall of a residential block on the pavement of the busy eastern suburbs road.
The Ford crashed into a parked vehicle, police said.
Around 15 police cars are said to have responded to the incident, including undercover police and highway patrol vehicles.
Witnesses say driver drove through a nearby park and onto footpath to escape police. pic.twitter.com/2umcAAgabW— Evan Zlatkis (@evanjzlatkis) June 25, 2016
Undercover detectives wearing bullet-proof vests were seen running to the scene and both lanes of the road were temporarily closed.
One Old South Head Road resident said the driver "put up one hell of a fight" before being arrested.
"I was sitting next to the window having breakfast ... Fortunately he didn't hit my fence but he jammed himself up there," the witness said.
Detectives remain on the scene of the police chase in Bondi. #news pic.twitter.com/af7yFcuUw6— Evan Zlatkis (@evanjzlatkis) June 25, 2016
"There were about four police cars behind him and police coming the other way. Without any exaggeration, there were 15 police cars here in about one minute.
"The police were attempting to remove him from the car and he was putting up one hell of a fight against 20 police."
Police said the man was taken to Waverley Police Station before being taken to St Vincent's Hospital under police guard. Charges are expected to be laid.
Additional reporting by Evan Zlatkis and Jodie Stephens
