Police commissioner Karen Webb in bizarre TV studio standoff

Bizarre scenes unfolded inside Seven’s Sunrise studio on Tuesday morning when NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb refused to leave the room until a news journalist and cameraman were moved away.

Bizarre scenes unfolded inside Seven’s Sunrise studio on Tuesday morning when NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb refused to leave the room until a news journalist and cameraman were moved away.

The under pressure commissioner had just finished an interview with host Natalie Barr, when it’s understood she was alerted to a Seven News reporter and cameraman waiting outside the studio.

Production staff inside the Eveleigh headquarters said Commissioner Webb could be heard saying she “won’t be ambushed”.

Sources at Seven told The Daily Telegraph Commissioner Webb stayed in the Sunrise studio for “about 10 minutes” refusing to leave, until the news crew was informed of the top cop’s standoff, and they moved away.

Commissioner Webb was grilled by Sunrise hosts Nat Barr and Matt Shirvington. Picture: Sunrise

When asked about the commissioner’s refusal to leave the studio while a journalist was waiting, a NSW Police Public Affairs spokeswoman said it was due to a tight schedule.

“The Commissioner had other media interviews scheduled and needed to leave Eveleigh to meet those commitments – and a meeting with the Mardi Gras Board at 10am,” she said.

Barr asked Commissioner Webb about criticism of her lack of presence in the days after television presenter Jesse Baird, 26, and his boyfriend Luke Davies, 29, were allegedly killed by police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon, 28, inside a Paddington terrace.

It took a week after the men were allegedly killed and three days since one of her officers was charged with two counts of murder before the State’s top cop addressed the media.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb refused to leave a room until a news journalist and cameraman were moved away.

“I have been out and about at other things, I have a big organisation, and a $5billion budget running 22,000 people,” the commissioner told Sunrise.

“The good thing about being the commissioner and the leader is having great people around you.”