A “radicalised” 16-year-old boy wielding a knife was shot dead by Western Australian police after he had wounded a member of the public in Perth, authorities confirmed on Sunday.
Premier Roger Cook stated in a news conference that the teenager had “rushed” at police officers after injuring someone, leading to his fatal shooting by an officer. Cook also mentioned that there were indications that the teenager had been radicalised online but emphasized that the incident appeared to be a solitary act.
The sequence of events began with a late-night call to police on Saturday from a male individual, warning of “acts of violence” without disclosing his identity or location, according to the state’s police commissioner, Col Blanch. Shortly after, another emergency call reported a male with a knife running around a car park in Willetton, a southern suburb of Perth.
Police body camera footage revealed that the teenager refused to comply with officers’ demands to drop the knife. Despite attempts to subdue him with Tasers, which were ineffective, the situation escalated as the teenager continued to advance on an officer with a firearm. The officer then fired a single shot, fatally wounding the teenager.
The teenager succumbed to his injuries in the hospital later that night.
The incident has sparked discussions about online radicalisation and the challenges faced by law enforcement in handling such situations. Investigations are ongoing to determine the motives behind the teenager’s actions and any potential links to extremist ideologies.
Sources By Agencies
