A man has killed himself on a Sydney street after going on a rampage which saw him ram a police car, steal a truck, car-jack a taxi and stab a bystander before turning the knife on himself.
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Police scrambled to contain the incident on Friday which began when officers attempted to stop a four-wheel drive not displaying number plates at Bass Hill before 3pm.
The 24-year-old driver rammed the police vehicle before dumping his 4WD at Chullora and stealing a small Woolworths truck which he drove to Rockdale, hitting a number of other cars on the way.
Detectives allege the man, who was known to police, then attempted to take another car and stabbed a bystander who tried to intervene.
The offender, who had a history of mental health issues, subsequently carjacked a taxi and drove north to Arncliffe where he was confronted by police outside St Francis Xavier's Catholic Primary School.
"The offender then stabbed himself to the chest and as a result is now deceased," Acting Assistant Commissioner Mick Fitzgerald told reporters.
"The offender wasn't trying to intentionally harm people on the way. He could of - if he'd wished to - harmed a great number of both humans and vehicles."
Mr Fitzgerald said officers had "attempted to utilise their Tasers but prior (to that) he's then stabbed himself".
NSW Police said there was no indication the matter was terror-related.
The bystander who was attacked at Rockdale was in his early 20s, authorities say.
He's now in a stable condition at St George Hospital where he underwent surgery.
Video of the stabbing seen by AAP shows he was attacked in the middle of the road at Rockdale.
One man told AAP his friend witnessed the attack.
He said the victim was stabbed in the stomach with a large kitchen knife after he ran out from a nearby gym to intervene.
NSW Ambulance spokesman Inspector Jordan Emery praised members of the public who provided first aid.
The assailant, in another video seen by AAP, is shown carjacking the taxi before doing a U-turn, mounting the curb and driving on the footpath. He then speeds away on the wrong side of the road.
The 24-year-old was heard arguing with others in Arabic, sources close to the investigation told AAP.
Arncliffe pub worker Nathan Doyle said no one heard gunshots.
"A customer had said to me the man in the taxi has caused some mischief and gotten himself into a mess," Mr Doyle told AAP. "Pretty grim."
One woman said the man "ran her off the road" before he crashed into others.
"He actually looked right at me and I can't get his face out of my mind," she wrote on Facebook.
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beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Australian Associated Press
