Man dies after being shot by police after violent incident at Craigburn Farm in Adelaide’s south

A man has died after being shot and tasered by police overnight during an incident in which officers were allegedly threatened with a knife.

A man was fatally shot by police early on Tuesday morning after officers were allegedly threatened with a knife at a southern suburbs home.

Just after midnight, police and SA ambulance were called to Highfield Dr at Craigburn Farm after reports of a mental health incident.

A man was fatally shot by police early on Tuesday morning after officers were allegedly threatened with a knife at a Craigburn Farm home. Picture: Russell Millard

Police say officers responded to reports the occupant of a home was harming himself with a knife. Picture: Russell Millard

Police say when they arrived, a 40-year-old man allegedly threatened them with a knife. Picture: Russell Millard

When they arrived, a 40-year-old man allegedly threatened them with a knife.

Police deployed a taser, however the man allegedly continued to threaten patrols with the knife before officers then discharged firearms.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said emergency services received the call from the man’s girlfriend after he had harmed himself while on a video call with her “and was threatening to harm himself further”.

The man was on the premises alone at the time of the incident.

Upon arrival, the man, who had stabbed him self in the stomach, “immediately confronted police with the knife,” Mr Stevens said.

“The police officers on scene deployed their tasers unsuccessfully, the man continued to charge at police and as a result, police officers fired at the man and he was fatally wounded,” he said.

Four police officers attended the scene “and more than one of the officers discharged their firearm”.

The taser was initially unsuccessful as “the male was covered in a blanket and it may have been the case that the blanket prevented the barbs from the taser being effectively lodged”, Mr Stevens said.

Following the incident, he was taken to the Flinders Medical Centre.

“I can say, having watched the body worn video, that this was a highly stressful, dangerous situation and the police officers appear at this time to have acted in accordance with their training and taken the action necessary to protect themselves and the ambulance officers who were on scene,” Mr Stevens said.

“This is a very difficult situation for police and all other people who are involved … as well as the extended family of those police officers and their patrol partners and team members.

A neighbour told The Advertiser she realised something was wrong when their dogs began behaving strangely.

She said she looked outside and saw an ambulance and police, before hearing screaming as police entered the home.

What happened next the neighbour said she’d “never forget”.

“There was a lot of screaming, and then I heard three gun shots,” she said.

Fearing a gunman was on the loose, the neighbour and her husband locked and armed their doors, and stayed inside until police gave them the all clear.

“We didn’t know if we were safe.”

“We thought there could have been a gunman on the loose.”

The neighbour said she was a “shaking mess” after the incident, and that the neighbourhood was usually “really quiet”.

Police Association president Wade Burns said he had spent the early hours of the morning with officers involved in the incident.

“All the information I have so far indicates they acted in line with their training and took appropriate defensive action to protect themselves, their colleagues and the ambulance officers who were at the scene.”

“Police officers in SA are under siege at the moment. They are doing their best to protect the community despite limited resources and relentless understaffing.

“Police are the last line of defence and often dealing with people who are experiencing crisis situations.

“I think the SA community completely understands that our job often confronts us with critical, life or death situations, that require split-second decision-making.”

Mr Stevens said there would be “an extensive inquiry” into the incident.

The commissioner’s inquiry will be led by Detective Chief Superintendent Scott Fitzgerald.