'Brave' police hailed after shooting machete-armed man
The 29-year-old died at the Mount Druitt Westfield in Sydney's west on Saturday afternoon with the officers involved in the incident hailed for their actions.
On Sunday, Assistant Police Commissioner Gavin Wood said six women aged in their mid 20s had crossed paths in the car park at 3.15pm and a brawl had erupted.
The women were not known to each other and it was "sheer fluke that they have met", he said.
The husband of one of the women retrieved a large machete from his car and was walking towards the women when police intervened.
"Police asked the male to drop the machete," Mr Wood said.
The man refused, and continued to walk towards the women.
"The police officers got in the middle between the deceased person who was carrying a large machete and some of those females subject to the melee," he said.
"At that stage, the police officer fired his service revolver".
Mr Wood had checked CCTV footage and the officers' body-worn video and was "content with the actions of the police".
The shooting would be subject to scrutiny but he said "their actions were commendable … they were brave".
"We will put our arms around those police as we do, and they deserve that," he said.
"They are good people, they are good police officers. They didn't come to work yesterday knowing they had to shoot somebody."
Mr Wood said he had spoken to both officers and they were upset, and the enormity of what happened had started to set in.
The shooting was declared a critical incident. The investigation will be overseen by the police law enforcement commission and professional standards and led by the homicide squad.
The man, a father of two young children, did not have an extensive criminal history and no gang affiliations.
Mr Wood said the machete he was carrying was at least 50 cm long.
"If anyone had seen it, you'd be alarmed simply by the vision of it," he said.
The man's wife was arrested but later released, subject to further police inquiries.
The actions of the six woman involved in the incident will also form part of the police investigation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Aussie couple stumble upon 'once-in-a-lifetime' river scene: 'Noise was unreal'
A travelling couple who ditched their 9-to-5 jobs to explore one of Australia's most remote regions has captured 'amazing' footage of a 'once-in-a-lifetime' scene in the middle of a river. Dean and Trine, who have spent the past few months working at a caravan park in Kununurra, in far north Western Australia, were enjoying a leisurely drive on their day off last month when they decided to make a detour. 'We were just driving along and saw this boat ramp sign and went, let's just go down there and have a look,' Dean told Yahoo News on Tuesday. After pulling into the Mambi Island boat ramp, located on the Ord River, the former council worker and his wife, who document their adventures online, jumped out of the car and cautiously scanned the water. It was then they witnessed a 'big jaw' suddenly emerge further downstream. After bolting back to the vehicle and retrieving his drone, Dean was shocked to see what had made the commotion — a group of hungry crocodiles snacking on a deceased cow. 'We counted six, but I'm thinking there were more than that because you could see shadows underneath [the cow] as well, moving around. And you can see fish buzzing around there, trying to get pieces of meat as well,' he explained. Crocodiles make 'unreal' noises as they share snack While his drone was unable to record the noises the predators made as they furiously rolled the dead animal, Dean described them as 'unreal' — even from 250 metres away. 'For us to come across that was just a total fluke, that's for sure,' he said. The incredible footage, which has since gone viral, shows several crocs splashing in the water as they rip chunks of flesh from the carcass. While he was expecting them to battle it out for who got to claim the prize, Dean said the crocodiles all appeared to be taking turns in sharing the snack. 'There's no shortage of food for them up here. They're all big, fat crocs,' the traveller said, adding he had seen about 20 wallabies sitting on the edge of a riverbank in the same area just days ago. 📸 Predator's incredible moment in river highlights $100m threat 🚘 Warning to drivers after 4WD gets 'bogged on a crocodile' 🐊 Fisherman's very close call in murky Aussie river: 'Launch into the boat' Crocs focus on eating, not fighting over large carcasses David McMahon, a tour guide in the Northern Territory, told Yahoo that when it comes to large carcasses such as this, crocodiles tend to 'focus more on the eating and less on the fighting'. 'I've seen this many times in Australia with saltwater crocs and Africa with Nile crocs. If there is enough food to go around then there is no advantage to fighting each other over a big feed,' he explained. 'It's likely that a very big crocodile took the cow and may have protected it for a while until he had his fill, and then it's more of a free-for-all.' Crocodiles have been a prominent feature in the news recently, with wild footage of a 4WD driver getting 'bogged on a crocodile' at Cahills Crossing making headlines overseas last week. On Saturday, Yahoo published striking images of one of the predator's taking a meal on a seven-kilometre ride in Far North Queensland. The scene was captured by crocodile expert David White on the Daintree River. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
At 19, He Was Pulled Into into Serial Killing Ring that Was Dramatized in a Movie — and Now He's Going Free
James Vlassakis, who was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 26 years, committed four of 11 murders that occurred between 1992 and 1999 in Snowtown, South AustraliaNEED TO KNOW A serial killer in South Australia was granted parole this week after decades behind bars James Vlassakis, who was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 26 years, committed four of 11 murders that occurred between 1992 and 1999 in Snowtown Frances Nelson, the South Australian parole board chief, said Vlassakis "does not represent a risk to the community'James Vlassakis, a serial killer in South Australia, was granted parole this week after spending more than two decades behind bars, according to multiple news reports. The decision was made by the South Australian Parole Board on Tuesday, Aug. 5, with the board saying that Vlassakis will serve the remainder of his life sentence outside of prison walls under special conditions, according to The Guardian, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and The Sydney Morning Herald. Frances Nelson, the parole board chief, said Vlassakis "does not represent a risk to the community' and will be sent to a pre-release facility for up to 12 months before he is officially released, per The Sydney Morning Herald. PEOPLE reached out to the South Australian Parole Board for comment on Tuesday, Aug. 5 but did not immediately hear back. Vlassakis has been in prison for the past 26 years after being convicted for his role in the "Snowtown murders" that occurred between 1992 and 1999 in South Australia. Authorities said Vlassakis, who was 19 at the time, committed four of the 11 murders alongside three others, The Guardian reported. He has never been pictured. The killings came to light in May 1999, when authorities discovered dismembered remains in plastic barrels filled with hydrochloric acid in an old bank vault in Snowtown, per The Guardian. According to ABC, authorities said the victims were relatives and friends of the killers. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Vlassakis' stepfather, John Bunting, and Robert Wagner committed the murders along with Vlassakis. They are serving life sentences without parole and Vlassakis testified against the two during their trials, per ABC. Mark Ray Haydon, 66, who help cover up the killings, was released on parole with special conditions in May 2024, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. The murders were depicted in the 2011 film Snowtown, which follows the perspective of Vlassakis' character as the killings take place. Ronald Lane, the nephew of one of the victims, called the decision to grant Vlassakis parole a "kick in the face for the families that are involved," per ABC. "What about the victims' lives? They didn't get the chance to even live their lives — they were brutally killed," Lane said, per the outlet. Speaking further about Vlassakis' release, Nelson said, "Many victims have the view that someone hasn't really got a long enough sentence and they shouldn't be released, but that isn't a matter that should even feature for the parole board — it would usurp the function of the courts," ABC reported. Read the original article on People
Fox News
5 hours ago
- Fox News
5th Cincinnati brawl suspect's mugshot released after FBI arrest
Authorities have released the mugshot of the fifth suspect arrested in connection to the now-viral brawl that broke out in downtown Cincinnati on July 26. Fox News Digital has confirmed 38-year-old Patrick Rosemond was taken into custody Monday afternoon by the FBI and Atlanta Metropolitan Major Offender's Task Force in Fulton County, Georgia. He is charged with two counts of felonious assault and aggravated riot, according to the Cincinnati Police Department. He is also charged with one count of fugitive from justice for a fingerprintable charge, according to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office. He is currently being held in the Fulton County Jail while awaiting extradition to Ohio, police said. Rosemond is a Cincinnati resident and does not have any registered addresses in Georgia, according to records obtained by Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital could not immediately locate an attorney for Rosemond. "We're proud to support our partners in getting violent offenders off the streets," FBI Atlanta said in a social media post. Rosemond is the fifth arrest stemming from the violent beatdown that left six people injured – including one with a brain injury. Authorities are still searching for a sixth suspect. Shocking footage shows a large group attacking several individuals on the corner of Fourth and Elm streets in Cincinnati's business district in the early morning hours of Saturday, July 26. Several individuals can be seen punching and kicking the victims, with one woman being knocked unconscious and lying in the street. Out of approximately 100 witnesses who watched the events unfold, only one person called 911, according to Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge. Last week, authorities arrested Jermaine Matthews, 39, Montianez Merriweather, 34, DeKyra Vernon, 24, and Dominique Kittle, 37, for their alleged roles in the brutal brawl. Matthews was initially charged with aggravated riot and assault but was slapped with additional charges of two counts of felony assault, along with another count of assault, at a bond hearing last week. He has pleaded not guilty and is currently out of jail after posting a $270,000 bond. Both Vernon and Merriweather face felonious assault, aggravated riot and assault charges. Merriweather is being held on a $500,000 bond, while Vernon is being held on a $200,000 bond. Kittle is charged with felonious assault, aggravated riot and three counts of assault. Kittle, Merriweather and Vernon are currently being held in the Hamilton County Jail. A grand jury is scheduled to meet on Aug. 8.
