WESTFIELD HORROR: New details emerge on machete-wielding man shot dead by cops

Police have revealed some tragic details after a man armed with a machete was shot dead by an officer following a brawl at a busy shopping centre.

Police have revealed that the machete-wielding man shot dead at major shopping centre in Sydney’s west was married and has two children.

Police shot and killed the 29-year-old man following a six-woman brawl in the Westfield Mount Druitt car park on Saturday afternoon, where police allege he showed up with a “large machete”.

A fight started between two groups of women at about 3.15pm on Saturday in the car park across from the centre’s Hoyts movie theatre.

Police have alleged the man’s wife was one of the women involved in the brawl.

Police at the scene of Westfield Shopping Centre in Mt Druitt, where a critical incident investigation has been declared after a man was shot dead by police on Saturday. Picture: NewsWire / Julian Andrews.

Assistant Commissioner Gavin Wood said the brawl involved six women in their mid-20s, and the melee was “opportunistic” with the women not knowing each other or reportedly having no known gang affiliation.

“It was just a sheer fluke that they have met, crossed paths and the melee has started.

“The rationale or the reason for the melee we do not know at this stage, it is subject to investigation.”

Shortly after the brawl, police said, the 29-year-old arrived at the scene in his car.

He had a “slight interaction” with police before returning to his car and taking out a 50cm-long machete.

The man the walked towards the group, at which point police asked him to drop his machete.

Assistant Commissioner Wood said the man did not follow police instructions and continued walking towards the group of women.

He was then shot by a police officer and died at the scene.

Assistant Commissioner Wood backed his officers, and said he was “content” with their actions.

“The police officers got in the middle, between the deceased person who was carrying a large machete and some of those females subject to the melee.

The man, believed to be in his 20s, was treated by paramedics but died at the scene. Picture: NewsWire / Julian Andrews.

“Their actions were brave and I want to put that one record.

“The investigation will be subject to scrutiny, as it should be, but their actions were brave,” he said.

On Saturday, reports emerged that the man had reportedly approached police, prompting them to fire “a number of shots.”

A critical incident has now been declared and in investigation will be undertaken.

Criminal defence lawyer Rick Rabbah, who was at the scene, told 7News the incident was distressing, even for someone in his profession.

“I specialise in criminal defence, but for things to occur for a day like 3pm on a busy weekend, it’s terrifying for everyone, even for someone like myself,” he said.

A critical incident team from State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad will lead the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Originally published as WESTFIELD HORROR: New details emerge on machete-wielding man shot dead by cops