A 16-year-old boy was fatally shot by police after he allegedly stabbed a man in Willetton, who was in his 30s, with a 30-cm kitchen knife.
It’s believed that the boy was radicalized online.
According to Col Blanch, the police commissioner of Western Australia, the teenager called the emergency number at around 10.10 pm and said he was going to carry out violent acts.
He provided no information about his location or identity. The police then received another call about a man with a knife running in a car park.
A few minutes later, three officers arrived and told the teenager to put down his knife. However, he refused to do so and instead rushed at the officers, who used tasers. Blanch stated that the boy continued to advance and was eventually shot by a third police officer.
After viewing the body camera footage, Blanch stated that the officers acted properly. However, he noted that the incident has caused the officers and their colleagues to feel affected. An independent investigation will be conducted to look into the incident.
The victim, who was stabbed in the back, is currently in a serious condition. The police commissioner noted that the Muslim community in Western Australia had earlier reported the teenager’s behavior to the authorities. In a statement, Cook thanked the community for helping the police.
Both Blanch and Cook noted that the boy was not part of a terrorist network. He had been part of a state-run program that focuses on radicalization. Cook said that there were indications that the boy was radicalized online.
However, he noted that at this stage, it’s believed that the teenager only acted alone.
The Prime Minister was briefed by the officials about the incident.
He was assured that there was no ongoing threat to the public. He noted that Australia is a peaceful nation and there is no place in it for violent extremism.
After receiving a briefing from the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Prime Minister Antony Albanese issued a statement to express his condolences to the families of the victims of the incident in Willetton. He also thanked the Western Australia Police for their quick response.