Courtney Topic’s parents still angry at NSW Police after their daughter died in a police shooting
The heartbroken parents of young woman Courtney Topic, who was killed in a police shooting in south-west Sydney, reveal what still torments them about their daughter’s tragic final moments.
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The mum of a young woman shot dead by police still can’t make sense of why her daughter’s life was taken by officers.
Courtney Topic was killed by a police bullet to the chest as she stood outside a Hungry Jacks in south-west Sydney in February 2015.
The 22-year-old was holding a large kitchen knife and was visibly distressed, pointing the knife at herself, and pacing around.
Within 41 seconds of police arriving, the fatal shot was fired. Three officers trained their guns on her and ordered her to drop the knife. Ms Topic didn’t respond, was pepper sprayed, and then shot when she walked towards an officer.
A NSW Coroner later ruled she was suffering a “severe episode of psychosis”.
“It didn’t fit with who Courtney was who we are. None of it made sense. I still struggled to make sense of it,” Courtney’s mum Leesa Topic told Gary Jubelin on the I Catch Killers podcast.
“We’ve got relatives … that fought for this country at war … That have put their lives up for this country and have died by bullet in another country at war. How is it that my little girl died by the side of the road where she was bothering nobody, not with anybody? No one was around [and] within 41 seconds she had a bullet through her heart.” Mrs Topic said.
The coroner found the officers’ attempts to disarm Courtney were “entirely inappropriate” and they should have tried other means to get her to drop the knife.
Nine recommendations were made including making a four-day mental health training mandatory for officers.
Mrs Topic said no other lives should be lost in the way Courtney’s was.
“She can’t have died in vain. I’ve said from the get go, things need to change, so other families don’t have to live this nightmare that we will live the rest of our lives, and Courtney’s life is gone,” she told the podcast.
In the aftermath, the family struggled with the police investigation, especially the fact NSW Police would investigate themselves over the shooting.
“I still have a problem with that. Yeah, I have. No other organisation has that set up and I think it needs to be dealt with,” Mrs Topic said.
“Courtney was our second of four beautiful children. We were blessed. We had a beautiful family. We still have a beautiful family,” she said.
Ron Topic said footage of the shooting revealed “Keystone Cops” at work.
He said the family had been told by NSW Police all nine recommendations would be implemented. The family is still waiting for formal confirmation that this is the case.
One was registered nurses working in police stations and accompanying officers to mental health situations.
“Whether these things are still going strong or have sort of weaned off a bit, you know, it’s all budgetary,” he said.
The family were “eternally broken”.
“I hope and pray that no other family ever goes through what we go through – you wouldn’t wish it on your worst enemy,” he said.
You can listen to Gary Jubelin’s I Catch Killers podcast weekly.
Originally published as Courtney Topic’s parents still angry at NSW Police after their daughter died in a police shooting
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