‘Tragedy’: Horrific details after mum killed
Police have revealed a woman shot dead by officers in the backyard of a suburban Melbourne home was violently stabbing her mother when confronted, with neighbours initially reporting the younger woman was attempting to set the parent on fire.
Officers were called to Kett St in Lower Plenty about 6.30pm on Friday after reports a woman in her 50s was being assaulted by her daughter.
The attack was initially reported by neighbours who told police the younger woman was attempting to set her mother on fire.
Upon arrival, officers were challenged by the 26-year-old who was allegedly armed with a knife.
She was shot by police and died at the scene.
The second woman was treated by first responders but died at the scene.
Victoria Police Acting Superintendent Scott Colson said the officer was left “no other choice” than to discharge his firearm.
“It’s a terrible situation,” Superintendent Colson said.
“(Police) were confronted with the daughter stabbing the mother and have called on the daughter to drop the knife.
“However, she continued to stab the mother … tragically, both the mother and the daughter died on the scene.”
Superintendent Colson said the woman was stabbing her mother in the torso and the neck when she was shot by a single officer.
After arriving at the scene, officers realised they were at the wrong address and jumped the fence into the neighbouring property.
At the time, the woman was on bail for an unrelated matter and despite AVOs with other persons was allowed to be at the home.
Superintendent Colson described the scene as a “horrible situation” for police, but said he backed their decision to use their firearm.
“They (police) don’t go to work expecting to draw their firearms and be involved in these sorts of tragedies,” he said.
“I’m comfortable with what their actions were … they were confronted with a horrible situation”.
It is understood other people at home at the time of the attack, but that the triple-0 call came from the family’s neighbours.
In a statement, Victoria Police said they were not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident.
Homicide Squad detectives will investigate the incident with oversight from the Professional Standards Command, which is protocol when a police firearm is discharged.
