A man has been shot dead by police in Sydney's Potts Point after allegedly entering an apartment complex and assaulting two women. New South Wales police said officers from Kings Cross command were called to a unit block on St Neot Avenue at about 10.50am on Tuesday following reports of an armed man entering the complex and assaulting two women.
Police said they deployed a Taser, but it was ineffective. The man allegedly threatened officers with a weapon before an officer shot him with a single round. NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna confirmed the man died at the scene. The two women, aged 47 and 57, were taken to St Vincent's Hospital with non-life-threatening head and facial injuries.
NSW Ambulance Superintendent Stewart Clarke said one woman had significant head and facial injuries but was conscious and stable, while the other's injuries were more superficial. McKenna said one woman's injuries were consistent with being assaulted with a weapon, while the other's were consistent with blunt force trauma. The man, believed to be in his late 30s or early 40s, has not been identified, and it is not believed he knew the women.
A critical incident investigation has been launched, overseen by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission. In a separate unrelated incident in Newcastle, a 36-year-old man was shot by police during an arrest after allegedly confronting officers with an edged weapon. He sustained a shoulder wound and is in a stable condition under police guard. Both investigations will also examine why Tasers were ineffective.
