Western Australia Police 'did their duty' in Perth shooting, commissioner says
Western Australia Police Commissioner Chris Dawson has defended officers who shot a man who allegedly confronted them wielding a knife and metal pole.
Two constables fired three times at 37-year-old Drew Lush at Yanchep in Perth overnight.
"We just heard bang, bang, rapid gunfire in succession," one witness said.
Police in Western Australia shot a man who allegedly confronted them with a knife. 9News
It was just after midnight on Lady Lindsay Cove when a routine police patrol allegedly spotted a man with a knife acting strangely.
They said they called on him to drop the knife and he went into some nearby bushes.
A few minutes later, he came out with a knife and a metal pole, just metres from the officers, police said.
Residents described hearing the man screaming in agony from across the road.
The confrontation was captured by the officers' body cameras, and Mr Dawson said he saw nothing that would make him stand them down from duty.
"They had to make a dynamic and I believe courageous decision," Mr Dawson said.
An investigation into the incident is now underway. 9News
An internal inquiry into the shooting is underway.
But Mr Dawson said the officers "did their duty".
The man shot by police was been taken to hospital and is in a stable condition.
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