A machete-wielding man shot dead by cops at a western Sydney Westfield was a father-of-two whose wife was involved in a brawl that unfolded moments earlier.
NSW Police officers fatally shot the 29-year-old man after a fight broke out between six women at the Mount Druitt shopping centre on Saturday afternoon.
Emergency services received reports of the fight in the car park across from the centre’s Hoyts movie theatre at about 3.15pm.
The man killed by police has been identified as a father-of-two whose wife was involved in the brawl.
Assistant Commissioner Gavin Wood described the melee as ‘opportunistic’ and noted the women did not know each other and neither did they have any known gang affiliations.
‘It was just a sheer fluke that they have met, crossed paths and the melee has started,’ he said.
‘The rationale or the reason for the melee we do not know at this stage, it is subject to investigation.’
The 29-year-old man arrived at the scene in his car shortly after the brawl erupted.
A man shot by police at a west Sydney Westfield has been identified as a 29-year-old father of two (pictured, emergency service at the scene)
The man reportedly arrived at the scene with a machete after his wife was involved in a six-person brawl (pictured, paramedics at the scene)
He had a ‘slight interaction’ with police before walking back to his car to retrieve a 50cm-long machete.
Police called for him to drop the weapon as he returned to the group, but he continued walking towards them.
He was then shot by a police officer and died at the scene at about 4pm.
Assistant Commissioner Wood expressed support for officers at the scene 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,’ he said.
‘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.’
Paramedics were seen treating the shot man, two women and a security guard.
Paramedics treated the shot man at the scene but he died at about 4pm (pictured, emergency services at the car park)
Five ambulances and a Careflight helicopter with a doctor on board were also at the scene.
One woman told ABC she was inside the centre at a children’s birthday party when she heard multiple gunshots.
‘We were just in Timezone having a birthday for the kids, just an ordinary day, playing the games,’ she said.
‘And then next thing we know, a whole bunch of people just come running in, they were yelling that there’s a shooter running around.
‘Next thing is we hear six shots go off.’
The investigation by NSW Police will be reviewed by the Professional Standards Command with oversight from the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC).
Members of the public have been urged to avoid the area while police conduct inquiries.
Anyone with information about this incident has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
A spokesman for Scentre Group, which owns and runs dozens of Westfield centres, told AAP its team was assisting authorities.
‘The safety and security of our customers, business partners and people is our highest priority,’ he said.
