‘Confronted by something very violent’: Police shoot man dead after attack on Sydney women

Warning: Graphic Content

A man armed with a knife attacked two women, leaving them with horrific injuries before police shot him dead in a “very violent” scene in an apartment building in one of inner Sydney’s most affluent suburbs.

One woman is preparing for surgery as a critical investigation is launched into the attack and police response.

NSW Police were called to St Neot Avenue at Potts Point at about 10.50am on Tuesday after reports an armed man had attacked the women in the complex. The man was shot with one round when he allegedly lunged at officers.

Neighbours had heard shouting in the hallways after women from two separate units were attacked, police said.

Sources describe the attack as a “home invasion”, with one woman set upon in her unit, and the second in the apartment block laundry.

Both were rushed to St Vincent’s hospital in a stable condition. The woman attacked in her apartment will undergo surgery on Tuesday night, having suffered a broken nose.

One witness told Nine News he heard a woman screaming for help before police barged down the door to a unit and the man tried to flee.

“He was trying to jump out the window and they said ‘Get the f--- back in the house’.”

Officers found the man, unsure if he was a resident of the apartment block himself, and fired a Taser in an attempt to disarm him. The witness reported hearing the crackle of the stun weapon.

“Then next minute, I hear some gunshots,” he said.

“After that, I can see him laying on the floor surrounded … cops trying to do CPR.”

The attacker died on their stretcher in the laneway outside as police held up white sheets, and then a blue tent, to shield the scene from horrified locals and news cameras. Police were still working to identify him.

“The police officers are pretty traumatised at the moment,” NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said.

“They don’t come to work to be confronted by this type of thing or to take a life, that’s the last thing we want to do.

“Police were responding to help people in distress. Unfortunately, today someone has lost their life. That is tragic.”

Officers had Tasered the man, but McKenna said it had failed to subdue him.

McKenna said he was “very pleased” his officers were going home physically safe.

“I’ve got police officers going home today after being confronted by something very, very violent, who are going home safe and well, although traumatised,” McKenna said.

Second police shooting in NSW

The fatal shooting at Potts Point was the second involving NSW Police on Tuesday after another man was shot in Newcastle.

Officers, including members of the high-risk domestic violence offender team, forced entry to a unit on Honeysuckle Drive about 8.30am to arrest a man wanted on five outstanding warrants.

The 36-year-old allegedly confronted police armed with an “edged weapon” and was shot in the shoulder after two Tasers were deployed but proved ineffective, police said in a statement.

The man was taken to John Hunter Hospital under police guard and the incident is under investigation.

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