Man shot in stomach by police after allegedly trying to attack police officers with a shovel

Police officers who shot a man who allegedly tried to attack them with a sharpened tool have been left "shaken" following the incident yesterday.

The man, aged in his 40s, was shot by police after he allegedly ran towards officers with an "ornamental bladed shovel" in the NSW city of Newcastle.

Emergency services were called to a unit block on Hanbury Street in Mayfield at 4pm for a welfare check.

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Police claim a Taser was deployed as the man ran towards them but this was unsuccessful.

Assistant Commissioner David Waddell said the officers were attacked "unexpectedly" while attending the domestic violence call out.

Waddell said there was also a woman at the premises at the time of the incident.

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"Can I say that both those officers are shaken up, and that's the issue, these things do occur in second, they are very lucky that they are not seriously injured," Waddell said.

"They are very shaken up and it will have an effect on them, as it will on the male and [his] family."

The man, who was wounded in the stomach, was immediately assisted by police as paramedics travelled to the scene.

Paramedics performed CPR en route to the hospital before he was taken into surgery.

He remains in John Hunter Hospital in a serious condition.

There will be an investigation into the incident and this will be subject to an independent review.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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