http://business.theage.com.au/siege-at-perth-building-over/20080418-271x.html 'Siege' at Perth building over
* April 18, 2008 - 4:46PM *
Police moved into Perth's Exchange Plaza after reports of a man making threats at the building housing the Perth stock exchange and commonwealth parliamentary offices.
A WA police spokeswoman said a man had been making threats in the building and although he had not been found, authorities were confident he was not armed.
"It's not a siege, there's no gun, he's not on the roof,'' he said.
"He went in there and made some threats and said he was going to get a firearm, that's why we sent in the tactical response group.''
Exchange Plaza building manager John Bennett said he was unsure as to whether there was a siege, or whether police were simply investigating threats made against someone in the building.
He said no-one had been evacuated but the building was cordoned off and people were not being allowed to enter.
Tactical response group officers were at the building.
A stockbroker in the building reported the incident was on the 18th floor of the 40-storey building.
A spokeswoman for Victoria Petroleum NL, whose offices are on the 36th floor, said the company had only been informed that "there was limited use of the lifts''.
The office of the Australian Government Solicitor (AGS), situated on the 19th floor of the building, said it could not comment on the situation.
An AGS employee, who did not want to be named, said: "I cannot comment on the incident in our offices''.
Calls to BNP Paribas, which has offices on the 18th floor of the building, went unanswered.
