Police say a man allegedly ran towards an officer while carrying two knives before he was shot in the torso in a small Western Australian town this morning.
Key points:
- A man in his 20s is in a stable condition in hospital after being shot by a police officer in Pingelly
- Police say the incident was captured on the officer’s body camera
- An investigation is underground into the incident
The man in his 20s is in a stable condition in hospital following the incident in the Wheatbelt town of Pingelly, about 150km south-east of Perth.
Police allege the man ran from a property towards the officer and was shot just before 5am.
Deputy Police Commissioner Allan Adams said a constable used a taser on the man, which was “ineffective”, before he shot him in the torso at a range of about 1 metre.
Deputy Commissioner Adams said police were called to the home after reports of a disturbance, including a call from a family member inside the house.
“Upon arrival, the man in his 20s ran from the address armed with knives towards police who told him to stop, deployed taser, which was ineffective, and then fired a single shot, which hit and stopped him from proceeding any further towards police, “he said.
Deputy Commissioner Adams said he had viewed the incident, which was recorded on a police body camera.
“Watching the vision I’m extremely thankful that their training came to the fore in their response to the incident,” he said.
“While there is an investigation still to be undertaken, my assessment of the vision [is] I don’t think I would’ve done anything any differently than the police in attendance.
“From the moment the man walked out of the front door to the moment the event was completed was a matter of seconds.”
The officer provided first aid before the man was transferred to hospital.
Shooting under investigation
Deputy Commissioner Adams said the incident was under investigation.
He said it was not “normal practice” to have one officer respond to a serious incident, but praised the constable’s response.
“There were some resourcing issues in the immediate vicinity at that time that precluded the attendance of more,” he said.
“Whilst it’s not desirable a single officer attend an event like this… I don’t sit here in any way saying that the police officer shouldn’t have gone.
“The officer made an assessment at that time that it was in the best interest of the community to attend straight away. He could not have foreseen what was to eventuate and I’m sure if he did, he would’ve waited a bit longer .”
Counseling has been offered to the officer and family members of the injured man.
Great Southern police were meeting with Indigenous community leaders in the town this afternoon.
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