Barber who intervened in Haines attack denies he is a hero

A barber who confiscated a knife and detained the driver who allegedly struck independent MP Helen Haines says he is no hero and is just one of many who rushed to the scene. 

Ricky Jefferies, whose business neighbours Ms Haines's Wangaratta electorate office, heard a loud bang shortly after 3:30pm on Monday when Ms Haines was critically injured.

The federal member for Indi was rushed to a local hospital and then airlifted to the Alfred hospital in Melbourne where she remains in a critical condition.

A 43-year-old man, now named as Brendan Nugent, was arrested and spent the night in custody at Wangaratta Police Station.

Police said he would be interviewed this morning and officers had not yet identified any motive. 

Mr Jefferies dismissed his own heroism and instead highlighted the actions of others. 

"It was crazy, I just ran out the front to see what was happening and I saw amazing members of the Wangaratta community who I know, or know most of them, and they were helping," he said.

"I didn't realise the seriousness of the situation initially and once it became relevant I just did what I could and what others were already trying to do."

The young father said he did not exactly pin the driver down but "asked him to jump out of the car and got him out of the car". 

"I just lent over him. Once he was on the ground and he was no longer a threat, I just stood with him and told him that he can't leave, he's not free to leave and that he'll be alright," he said.

Mr Jefferies said he told the man "everything is alright mate, you'll be alright".

"It was the right thing to do and to show him kindness and grace at a time that could have escalated from there," he said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has labelled him a hero, but Mr Jefferies put his actions down to simply being there at the time.

"I don't think I'm a hero, I think that I just was a person who had an opportunity to intervene in a safe-ish sort of way," he told a large pack of reporters. 

Mr Jefferies said the driver had a knife but did not pull it out. 

"I just wasn't comfortable with his movements and so I basically just took it out of his pocket and threw it away," he said.

His first thought at that point, the barber said, was that his wife would be disappointed if he got injured. 

"I was just trying to not get injured and trying to not let anyone else be injured after the initial incident," he said.

"I'm humbled and I feel grateful and blessed to have been here to help."

He emphasised there were others who had done much more than he had. 

"They did so much more than me ... the other people here, like they deserve the credit," he said.

"A lot of people got involved immediately and they didn't even check for danger, they just ran to help."

He highlighted the actions of one person who had sat in front of the vehicle while the driver was still inside it.

"They sat in front of a rolling car — that's not an exaggeration — there is a man that sat in front of a moving car to help someone," he said.

"That really happened, that's not just a sound bite. A man sat down and refused to leave. I had no choice but to take him out of the car because it was the right and safest thing to do."

Barber says he's praying for Helen Haines

"She's a mother, she's a member of the community and no one's job should put them at risk but I can tell you from my own personal dealings that she is a genuine kind person," Mr Jefferies said.

"Her and her family, I've prayed for them and I hope that her recovery begins immediately, spiritually and physically.

"I pray that she's in good hands and that she recovers."

Mr Jefferies said the reactions from everyone in the town of dismay and concern for Ms Haines showed how respected she was. 

"No one's saying anything bad about Helen at all. We're all genuinely surprised that this would happen."