The actions of police are under scrutiny after police shot at a knife-wielding man at Hornsby Westfield yesterday, injuring three innocent shoppers in the process.
Police have launched a critical incident investigation into the shooting which will be carried out by the Parramatta Local Area Command, news.com.au reports.
The main issue to be investigated will be why a Taser or other options were not used by the officers.
“The officers have fired shots at the offender, he was wounded several times, unfortunately some bystanders were also injured with other bullet or fragment wounds,” Assistant Commissioner Denis Clifford said of the moment psychiatric patient Jerry Sourian, 23, ran at them, armed with a large carving knife.
Via Nine news.
“If a Taser was available a decision was made by those officers in a life and death situation.”
“This occurred in a matter of seconds … there was a matter of metres in it in the confined space of a shopping mall.”
Mr Sourian is in a serious but stable condition at Royal North Shore Hospital and two women, aged 82 and 65, are in stable conditions, ABC News reports.
Another woman, aged 60, is at Westmead Hospital in a stable condition.
