Melbourne crime family's son faces court over city shooting



A man charged with attempted murder after a shooting in Melbourne's trendy Chapel Street has been remanded in custody.
The incident in Prahran's nightclub district on Saturday night that saw a bullet miss a teen girl's head by inches.
Matwali Chaouk, 24, of Brooklyn, faces one count of attempted murder and seven firearm and assault charges after a 22-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman were fired upon while in a stationary car in Chapel Street on Saturday night.



Chaouk did not enter a plea.
The man was not injured and the woman incurred a minor head injury but did not need hospital treatment.
Outside Melbourne Magistrates Court today, Chaouk's father and family patriarch, Macchour Chaouk, and two other sons, railed at police accusing them of corruption.

He said the arrest of his son was a "set-up" and accused the media outside the court of working for the police.
Police were called to frantic scenes near the corner of Chapel St and Chatham St on Saturday night when a gun was fired into a window of a car around midnight.
The car, with two occupants, was stationary when the lone man fired a round before fleeing in another car.
Chaouk's relative, Mohamed Chaouk, 30, was shot dead by a special operations group officer during a raid on his Brooklyn family home on April 5, 2005.
The Coroner's Court last year he was shot after he swung a samurai sword at the officer, injuring the man's left wrist.
The raid, involving 15 SOG officers, came after a six-month organised crime squad investigation made members of the Chaouk family suspects for a range of crimes, the court heard.
Mr Chaouk will appear at the Melbourne Magistrate's Court today.
It was the fourth gun incident in Chapel St over the past 18 months. Early on Melbourne Cup Day last year a man armed with a 9mm Beretta opened fire in front of bouncers outside the Viper Room.
In April last year a gunman shot another man inside the Viper Room. In October 2006 police wrestled a pistol from a man who opened fire during a brawl on Chapel St.

In a separate incident at the weekend, police seized pistols and drugs after pulling a man over in Hawthorn Rd, Caulfield, about 9pm Friday.
A search of the car uncovered $15,000 cash, amphetamines and a pistol.
Special operations group police then raided the man's home in Elwood, where they found another pistol.
Two Elwood men, 33 and 23, were charged with drug and firearm offences and possessing proceeds of crime.
They are to face Melbourne Magistrates' Court today.
An Elwood woman, 19, was also charged with drug trafficking and possessing a firearm but was released on bail.
Police have also questioned three adults and three youths over the stabbing of a bouncer outside the Amber Lounge nightclub in the city early on Saturday.

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