The constable who shot an armed man at Cooee on Tuesday was “devastated” upon finding out the man had died in hospital, Police Association president Pat Allen said.
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Constable Allen was with the officer when he received the news and said “the devastation was utter and complete” for him and his colleagues.
The 48-year-old, whose name has not yet been released by police, charged at the police officer with a knife after calling them out to his bedsit on Stitz Street, Cooee.
Officers used capsicum spray but it had no effect.
The officer shot the man, who was also armed with other weapons, in the leg and stomach.
He underwent surgery at North West Regional Hospital but died from his injuries in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
“They’re very dynamic situations so it explodes into action in no time at all, you’ve got to react,” Constable Allen said.
“It’s the worst possible scenario for a police officer who’s joined the police service to actually help people, to then take a life.”
Constable Allen had just taken his current role with the Police Association when the coronial inquiry started into the shooting of Nicholas Whiteley, who was shot by police at Westbury in 2010.
He said most often a police officer “would not last operationally for too long” after that kind of altercation.
“There are very few times in Australia where police officers use lethal force and particularly in Tasmania.
“We took the worst mass murders in Australia’s history alive - that’s what you try and do,” Constable Allen, who was among the officers deployed to the scene of the Port Arthur massacre.
The shooting has reignited a debate about rolling out Tasers for frontline police.
“As a union we pushed for Tasers for a long time and I can’t say whether it would have worked in that situation or not,” he said.
“Any non-lethal item that has been shown to work in other jurisdictions should be carried by our members as well.”
Police Minister Rene Hidding said Tasers were a matter for police and further comment would be inappropriate as the matter was before the coroner.