‘Bravery praised’: Man shot after SA police officer stabbed
The Premier has praised the courage of an officer who confronted a man armed with a knife, leading to her being stabbed and the man being shot.
A knife-wielding man who stabbed a police officer in the neck has been shot by police.
South Australian police said they responded to reports of a man armed with a knife running onto a road at Elizabeth East, in Adelaide’s northern suburbs, about 11 am on Wednesday.
Acting assistant commissioner David O’Donovan said police “acted immediately to locate and engage the man in order to protect public safety”.
“During the confrontation, a police officer was stabbed in the neck, and the armed man was shot by police,” he said.
The female officer was rushed to hospital and was receiving treatment for a stab wound, while the alleged attacker was shot in the leg.
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The man’s injuries were not life-threatening, O’Donovan said.
In a media statement, Premier Peter Malinauskas praised the “bravery” of the injured officer.
“On behalf of all South Australians, I thank her for her bravery, and I wish her a full and speedy recovery. I also extend my sincere thoughts to her family and police colleagues,” the Premier said.
“This is a stark reminder of the extraordinary risks our police officers face every single day. When they put on their uniform, they do so knowing they may be called upon to confront dangerous and unpredictable situations to keep the rest of us safe.
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“Their courage, professionalism and commitment to keeping South Australians safe deserve our utmost respect and gratitude.”
Major Crime and internal investigators are at the scene of the incident, which occurred on Main North Rd. A southbound section of the major route has been closed to traffic.
Police had responded to “an evolving and very rapidly dangerous situation”, O’Donovan said.
“Their actions today were in response to an immediate threat posed by an armed individual, and so I wish to acknowledge the courage and the professionalism of the (officers),” he said.
“Police officers are often faced with these types of challenging situations that can evolve very quickly and they will put themselves in harm’s way to protect the public.”
The 27-year-old man who was shot would face “some very serious charges”, he said.
“I haven’t been fully briefed as to the exact nature of the charges, but I’ll leave that to your imagination. He has stabbed a police officer.”
The injured officer’s injuries were considered serious.
He did not clarify whether the officer who was injured had fired the shot that injured her attacker.
– AAP
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