Police fatally shot a woman after she drove a vehicle at officers attempting to arrest a man allegedly armed with a machete in South Melbourne.
According to Acting Assistant Commissioner Therese Fitzgerald, the incident occurred on Cecil Street shortly after 5 p.m., when a police officer was struck by the vehicle. In response, the officer discharged his firearm four times, fatally wounding the driver.
A 26-year-old male passenger sustained a gunshot wound to his leg and was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The officer hit by the car, a senior constable, also suffered non-life-threatening leg injuries and was hospitalized. His partner, who was uninjured, did not fire his weapon.
Speaking at a press conference Saturday night, Assistant Commissioner Fitzgerald said police had been called to the scene following reports of a man carrying a machete.
She noted that the exact relationship between the machete-armed man, the female driver, and the male passenger remains unclear.
Fitzgerald said the officer who opened fire had acted in line with police training protocols. “Our members are trained to respond in a particular way, and that’s what occurred in this situation,” she said.
She also emphasized how fortunate the injured officer was: “The senior constable is extremely lucky not to have suffered more serious injuries.”
According to police, the individuals in the vehicle were known to authorities, and the car bore allegedly stolen South Australian plates.
A crime scene has been established in the vicinity of Park Street, with investigators expected to remain on site throughout the night.
Witnesses reported a large presence of police and emergency vehicles in the area at the time of the incident.
The machete-wielding man was taken to hospital for observation.
