‘Their actions were brave’: Probe underway after police shoot dead father of two holding machete in shopping centre

Senior police say they are “content with the actions” of an officer who shot dead a father of two carrying a large machete following a brawl at a busy shopping centre.

Senior police said they are “content with the actions” of an officer who shot dead a father of two holding a machete at shopping centre. Pictures: Julian Andrews

Senior police have said they are “content with the actions” of an officer who shot dead a father of two holding a machete in a Western Sydney shopping centre carpark.

The incident in the carpark of Mt Druitt Westfield took place at about 3.30pm on Saturday after police received reports of six women in their 20s brawling.

Assistant commissioner Gavin Wood said the two groups of women had dispersed when a 29-year-old man, the husband of one of the women allegedly involved in the melee, arrived at the scene in his car.

Asst Comm Wood said the man retrieved from his car “a large machete and walked towards the group who had dispersed”.

“Police had spoken to the male, asked for the male to drop the machete,” he said.

“The male had refused to and continued to walk towards the females involved in the melee and at that stage a police officer had fired his service revolver, struck the person who is subsequently now deceased.”

Police said the man had two young daughters and “limited” previous interactions with police, with no known gang affiliations.

Asst Comm Wood said after reviewing Westfield security vision and body-worn cameras he was “content with the actions” police took.

“Police got in the middle between the deceased person who was carrying a large machete and some of the females subject to the melee,” he said.

A critical incident investigation is underway into the shooting of a father of two who was holding a machete in a Western Sydney shopping centre carpark. Picture: Julian Andrews

“Their actions were brave.

The machete he held was “at least 50cms (long),” Asst Comm Wood said.

“You’d be alarmed simply by the vision of it.”

The reason for the alleged brawl between the women is unknown, with police saying it was a “sheer fluke” the groups crossed paths in the carpark.

Some of the women involved in the incident are known to police, with one in custody over the alleged brawl.

A critical incident investigation is underway into the shooting, and investigations continue into the alleged brawl. The critical incident investigation will be overseen by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.

Asst Comm Wood said the officers involved were “upset and the enormity of what happened is starting to set in”.

“They are good people, they are good police officers,” he said.

Police asked for anyone who witnessed the carpark brawl to come forward.

WITNESSES SPEAK OUT

Raffat Rabbah, principal lawyer at Rabbah Legal, said he was at the centre getting a haircut when he saw “a couple of police officers rush in and run upstairs” before emergency services blocked off entries and exits.“It’s terrifying mate… for things to occur at daylight at 3pm on a busy weekend, it’s terrifying for everyone,” he said.

Brooke Miller and her boyfriend Blake Jefrey were heading to the movies when they saw the incident unfold. Picture: Julian Andrews

Brooke Miller, 25 and her boyfriend Blake Jeffrey, 26 were heading into the Hoyts to watch a movie when a fight erupted next to them at the Westfield rooftop car park.

Ms Miller said two women were “yelling at each other” before the fight escalated into “hair pulling and eyelashes being ripped out”.

“It was pretty intense, about 20 to 30 people were involved, two big groups fighting and then just random people got involved,” Ms Miller said.

Originally published as ‘Their actions were brave’: Probe underway after police shoot dead father of two holding machete in shopping centre