Man shot by police in Gosnells had allegedly stabbed someone outside Centrelink with ‘large hunting knife’

The man who was shot by police in Gosnells on Monday had allegedly stabbed a person with a “large hunting knife” outside a Centrelink just hours earlier, WA’s top cop has revealed. Police Commissioner Col Blanch said officers responded to an armed robbery following reports a man had his bag stolen before being stabbed in the arm outside the Centrelink on Lissiman Street. The man — aged in his 40s — was taken to Armadale Hospital. His alleged attacker — also in his 40s — was found by police outside a home on Wilsley Street about 5.40pm. He was holding a “large hunting knife” 20-30cm long. The knife had a large circular handle making it “difficult to disarm”. Mr Blanch said officers tried to negotiate with the man for up to 30 minutes before firing five tasers. “A number of commands were issued to that male to put down the knife . . . and up to five taser cartridges were fired upon that person . . . however, the knife remained in the hands of the suspect,” Mr Blanch said. “The issue was more the retaining of the knife in the suspect’s hand. “We couldn’t make the scene safe for officers until he removed the knife in his hands.” Mr Blanch said the man lunged towards police with the knife before telling officers to “shoot him”. “A police officer took a single shot at that time, which caused the suspected to fall over, and he got back up and continued that lunge, and then a second shot was fired,” he said. Mr Blanch confirmed the man was known to police. Mr Blanch said he believed the man was shot in the shoulder “and perhaps the hand or another part of the body”. The man was taken to Royal Perth Hospital where he remains in a critical condition. Mr Blanch said he was confident his officers had acted appropriately but the incident would be reviewed by the Corruption and Crime Commission. “I’ve watched the body-worn video but to give the community extra assurance, all of these investigations start with the major crime squad, the internal affairs unit and oversight by the Crime and Corruption Commission,” he said.