A man has been shot by police after a siege in Sydney’s south west when a Taser and non-lethal rounds proved ineffective.
NSW Police were called to a caravan park on Macarthur Road at Elderslie to check on the welfare of an occupant just after 12.15pm on Thursday.
Officers attended one of the cabins and tried to speak to a 52-year-old man.
But police said a perimeter had to be established ‘after the man armed himself with a knife and made threats to self-harm’.
Officers were helped by specialist resources, with negotiators attempting to speak to the man, who has not been identified, but police said he refused to co-operate.
Members of the tactical operations unit, wearing full riot gear, then entered the cabin just before 3.30pm.
Police allege the armed man then rushed at the team with the knife.
Officers used a taser and less than lethal tactical rounds which were ineffective before the man was shot.
He was immediately treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics at the scene and taken to Liverpool Hospital in a critical condition.
Caravan park resident John was returning home when he was greeted by officers who informed him there was an ongoing incident.
‘There was about eight of them (officers) and they weren’t messing around, they had the full riot gear on,’ he said on Thursday afternoon.
‘It was pretty scary.’
A critical incident team are leading the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, NSW Police said.
It will then be reviewed by the Professional Standards Command and oversighted by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333000.
More to follow.