WA coroner clears cops in fatal shooting of knife-wielding man

Police who shot dead a knife-wielding man acted appropriately, a WA coroner has found, but says more effective tasers should be deployed.

WA police have been cleared of any wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of Hayden Paul Stacey but a coroner has made one recommendation.

A “cascade of events” led to the fatal police shooting of a knife-wielding man but the officers involved did nothing wrong, a WA coroner has found.

One recommendation was made after the inquest, with Coroner Michael Jenkin suggesting more effective tasers should be deployed among police.

Hayden Paul Stacey, 22, died in May 2018 after he was tasered three times then shot in the chest by Constable Lucinda Boon in Wannanup, near Mandurah.

Mr Stacey had not been subdued by the taser attempts and refused to drop his large kitchen knife, the inquest heard.

He then advanced in a “threatening manner”, still armed with the knife and was shot once.

Mr Stacey was taken to Peel Health Campus in an ambulance but could not be saved.

“A cascade of events led to the tragic death,” Mr Jenkin said in his findings released by the WA Coroner’s Court on Monday.

“I am satisfied that the officers conducted themselves reasonably when they interacted with Mr Stacey.

“I am further satisfied that officer Boon acted lawfully and reasonably when she drew her police pistol and fatally shot Mr Stacey.”

Mr Jenkin said the taser technology available to police needed updating.

“The new taser appears to offer a more efficient non-lethal force option with an increased ability to subdue offenders,” he said.

“For that reason alone, it is my hope that the new taser is brought into service as soon as possible.”

Originally published as WA coroner clears cops in fatal shooting of knife-wielding man