Western Australian police on Saturday shot dead a “radicalised” 16-year-old knife-wielding youth who injured a member of the public in Perth, news agency AFP reported citing statements from police officials and the state premier. The teenager allegedly “rushed” towards police officers after attacking the aforementioned individual and was subsequently shot dead by an officer, Premier Roger Cook said.
“There are indicators he had been radicalised online. But I want to reassure the community at this stage it appears he acted solely and alone,” Cook said, as reported by AFP.
Police were alerted late on Saturday by a caller who issued a warning regarding his intention to commit “acts of violence", but refrained from disclosing his identity and whereabouts, the AFP report said, citing the state police commissioner's statements to reporters.
Within moments of the initial call, another emergency call notified authorities of a “male with a knife running around the car park” in Willetton, a southern suburb of Perth, the commissioner said.
Body camera footage from police officers depicted the teenager refusing commands to disarm. Despite officers deploying two tasers, both attempts failed to fully subdue the teenager.
“The male continued to advance on the third officer with a firearm who fired a single shot and wounded the male,” the commissioner was quoted as saying by AFP.
READ | Australia: Multiple People Injured In Church Stabbing Incident Near Sydney, Second Attack In 3 Days
In a separate incident last week, at Christ The Good Shepherd Church, Sydney, a 16-year-old boy allegedly attacked Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and Father Issac Royal during a church service. The assault occurred just after 7 pm. The victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Several videos capturing the stabbing surfaced on social media. In a live-streamed video, a person can be seen approaching the bishop and initiating an attack with a weapon. Onlookers intervened before police swiftly apprehended the teenager at the scene. Click here to read the full report.
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