Two police officers who shot dead a knife-wielding rough sleeper in the heart of Footscray on the eve of Good Friday did not have Tasers as part of their kit.
Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said the officers had access to capsicum spray but were yet to be fitted with the conducted energy device.
Community members gathered for a vigil on Friday night at the scene of the police shooting in Footscray,Credit: Simon Schluter
The Victorian government announced it would arm all frontline police officers with Tasers in 2021 as part of a $214 million, four-year program to boost the police’s tactical options and capabilities.
But Gatt said delays in the government committing to fund the program and the challenges of retraining such a large workforce meant some officers were yet to be trained and equipped with the shock device.
“After more than a decade of campaigning by the Police Association for every police officer to have access to a Taser, 58 per cent of the force are now trained and equipped with a Taser, while the region in which this incident took place sits at 28 per cent density for officers trained and equipped with a Taser,” he said.
Victoria Police declined to comment when asked about whether the officers had Tasers.
The two officers were called to Albert Street about 9pm on Thursday following reports of a man brandishing a knife near a shopping plaza on the corner of Paisley Street.
In a statement issued to the media on Friday, Victoria Police said the pair instructed the man to drop the weapon but discharged their firearms after the 35-year-old lunged at them with the knife.
Paramedics tried to save the man, who collapsed on a pedestrian crossing on Paisley Street in front of a small crowd of Easter shoppers, but he could not be saved.
The incident sparked outrage among some members of the local community, who questioned why the police didn’t attempt to de-escalate the situation and deploy non-lethal force before drawing out their guns.
“It’s important to note the presence of capsicum spray or Taser provides police with tactical options, but this does not mean that either will be appropriate or successful in all circumstances,” Gatt said.
“The Police Association is providing full support to our members involved in this incident in a wellbeing and legal sense, and will be there to provide any further support they require both now and into the future.”
A tragedy in the making
For business owner and long-term Footscray resident Phil Gaby, Thursday night’s shooting was a tragedy that had been long in the making.
Gaby runs Nan’s Bakehouse, a bakery and cafe just metres away from the main entrance to the plaza that provides food and support to struggling families and rough sleepers.
He said serious incidents, including offenders brandishing knives, syringes and scissors, have become a near-weekly occurrence at the small shopping centre.
Business owner and long-term Footscray resident Phil Gaby.Credit: Photograph by Chris Hopkins
Gaby himself has been forced to disarm offenders on multiple occasions inside his bakery and the plaza. Security guards have been threatened, spat on and assaulted. A few months ago, somebody was stabbed.
“Everyone’s fed up,” he said.
Footscray has long been grappling with a surge in crime, overt drug use, and anti-social behaviour, but long-term residents and business owners say the situation has deteriorated significantly in the past 18 months.
Just two months ago, Maribyrnong Council had to dismantle a playground on Nicholson Street Mall due to concerns it was being used to take drugs, sleep rough, or as a public toilet, with needles sometimes found on the play equipment. A mobile police CCTV unit now stands near the old playground site.
A mobile police CCTV unit at Nicholson Street Mall in Footscray.Credit: Marta Pascual Juanola
Traders have been crying out for more support from the police and increased outreach services in the area, but Gaby said officers were often too busy to attend, and if they did, it was usually long after the offenders had left the area.
“How serious is a crime before it gets serious enough? Because there’s been enough assaults on innocent people and stuff within the community,” he said.
Last week, Victoria Police launched a special operation to target drug offending, public order issues and anti-social behaviour in the Footscray CBD following concerns raised by local traders.
As part of the operation, officers charged five people with drug-related offences. They also arrested three other people over several thefts at local shops and two for outstanding warrants.
At the time, Maribyrnong area commander Acting Inspector Chloe Hayward said the operation sent a clear message to offenders and the local community that police would not tolerate criminal activity and anti-social behaviour in the area.
“Operations like these go a long way to improving safety overall by allowing us to build better relationships with locals and traders in the area,” she said.
But Gaby believes Thursday’s fatal shooting could have been avoided if police spent more time building connections in the community and getting to know those sleeping rough and suffering from mental health and substance abuse issues outside of targeted operations.
“They have no interest in trying to understand the dynamics,” he said.
Berhan Ahmed addresses the crowd at a vigil for the 35-year-old killed in the shooting.Credit: Simon Schluter
“[The shooting] will affect the community with a lot less trust because now the police have basically confirmed all their fears that they have no interest in helping people, they’d rather shoot first.”
African community leader Berhan Ahmed, who heads the nearby youth and community services organisation Africause, agrees. He said most people causing trouble in the Footscray area were a product of their circumstances and in urgent need of appropriate support.
“They’re forced to live in this situation. So let’s address homelessness. Let’s address mental health. Let’s address substance abuse,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed said it was crucial to intervene before young people ended up on the streets by ensuring they were supported to stay in school and find employment.
“We need to look at services that address the problem and solve the problem, not ones that service the problem,” he said.
With Cassandra Morgan
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