A machete-wielding man shot dead by cops at a western Sydney Westfield was a father-of-two whose wife was involved in a brawl that unfolded moments earlier.
NSW Police officers fatally shot the 29-year-old man after a brawl broke out between six women at Westfield Mount Druitt car park, in Sydney’s west, on Saturday afternoon.
Emergency services received reports of the fight in the car park across from the centre’s Hoyts movie theatre about 3.15pm.
The man killed by police has been identified as a father of two whose wife was involved in the brawl.
Assistant Commissioner Gavin Wood described the melee as ‘opportunistic’ and noted the women did not know each other or have known gang affiliations.
‘It was just a sheer fluke that they have met, crossed paths and the melee has started,’ he said.
‘The rationale or the reason for the melee we do not know at this stage, it is subject to investigation.’
The 29-year-old man arrived at the scene shortly after the brawl in his car.
A man shot by police at a west Sydney Westfield has been identified as a 29-year-old father of two
The man reportedly arrived at the scene with a machete after his wife was involved in a six-person brawl
He had a ‘slight interaction’ with police before walking back to his car to retrieve a 50cm-long machete.
Police called for him to drop the weapon as he returned to the group, but he continued walking toward them with the machete in hand.
He was then shot by a police officer and died at the scene.
Assistant Commissioner Wood expressed support for officers at the scene ad said he was ‘content’ with their actions.
‘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.
‘Their actions were brave and I want to put that one record.
‘The investigation will be subject to scrutiny, as it should be, but their actions were brave.’
More to come…
