- A man was shot by police in Goodwood, Hobart.
- Police suspected he was carrying a firearm.
- A preliminary inquiry revealed he was not
A man was shot twice in the chest by police in Tasmania following his threat to shoot officers — however, an early investigation found that he did not possess a firearm.
Police were first dispatched to a home in the Goodwood area of Hobart around 4:30am on Sunday.
The individual was by himself at the location and is a family member of the property’s owners, who contacted the police thinking there was an intruder.
The situation worsened, with the 34-year-old reportedly vowing to use a gun during a clash outside the residence just before 6 a.m.
TasmaniaCommander Jason Elmer of the Southern District Police stated that approximately 10 officers were present at the location where pepper spray was deployed on the individual.
Two police officers subsequently shot him, causing an injury to his chest.
“This was a highly volatile situation…at the moment the officers fired their weapons, they were convinced that he had a firearm,” Mr. Elmer said to reporters.
The individual is said to have declined to raise his hands and warned officers that he would fire at them with a firearm.
But Mr. Elmer stated the man was not carrying any weapons.
“After the shooting, it was confirmed that the man did not have a gun on him,” he said.
He received initial medical treatment on the spot and was taken to the hospital, where he is currently in a critical but stable state.
“This is a distressing incident… the officers (the police) have had to perform actions this morning that are certain to leave a lasting impact on them for the rest of their lives,” Mr. Elmer stated.
A formal inquiry into professional standards is currently underway.
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