Man shot dead by police while strangling sister he also attacked with samurai sword

A woman is fighting for life with a partially severed arm after an assault by her brother, who was shot dead by police during the attack.

Police were called to a home on the Warburton Highway in Yarra Junction about 5.30pm on Wednesday, following reports a man was assaulting a woman.

A man was shot dead by police in the Yarra Valley on Wednesday evening.

Eastern Region Assistant Commissioner Russell Barrett said the siblings’ mother reported the fight between her two children, aged in their 40s.

Police were met outside the home by the mother, who told them her son had a mental health condition. Screaming could be heard coming from inside, Barrett said on Thursday morning.

“[Police] then entered the bedroom and were confronted by a female who appeared to be unconscious and appeared to have a limb that was partially severed, being strangled by a man,” Barrett said.

Officers used Tasers three times in an attempt to stop the assault, but the man continued to strangle his sister. One of the officers then used his firearm, fatally shooting the man.

“It’s every police officer’s nightmare,” Barrett said. “Both police officers are distressed. It’s not what they come to work to do.”

After shooting the 45-year-old man, the two officers rendered first aid to both siblings.

Ambulance crews were called, but the man could not be revived. The 48-year-old woman was flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with life-threatening injuries. She remains in a critical condition in an induced coma.

State Coroner John Cain attended the scene on Wednesday night.

Police entered the home to find a woman being strangled by a man.

Police said the man had a history of mental health issues.

A samurai sword found inside the home was used in the attack.

At the time of the incident, two other family members were also in the home. A 77-year-old Yarra Junction woman was taken to hospital with shock. A 49-year-old Yarra Junction man was not injured during the incident.

Barrett, who also went to the scene on Wednesday night, reviewed the body camera footage from the two male officers and described their actions as “brave and courageous”.

He said that if police had not intervened, the woman might have been killed by her brother.

“Our hearts go out to the family. You can imagine what the mother’s going through at this moment.

“It’s tragic circumstances for the family and for a relatively small rural community, who know their community and know their police.”

Neighbour Julie Upton, who has lived on the street for 25 years, described the family involved in the incident as a regular family who never had any trouble with police.

The coroner will investigate.

Upton said the man killed by police generally kept to himself, as did his sister.

“You don’t often see them. You might pass them in the street … the siblings would walk up with groceries, [and] you’d see them once every two weeks. They kept to themselves,” she said.

“He never really spoke to anyone. He was one of those [people] that would just walk with his head down. I’d always wave to them, and they were polite.”

Upton said the family had lived in the home on Warburton Highway for nearly 20 years, the brother and sister both residing with their mother.

“I feel for the mum,” she said. “It’s very sad. They’re just a quiet family. The mum’s lovely … you don’t want this to happen to anyone. It’s terrible.

“They’re just a regular family as far as anyone else would know.”

Upton said she was out the front of her home gardening when the incident happened and didn’t hear anything that indicated something was wrong just a few houses down.

“It was all very quiet. We never heard a gunshot or anything,” she said. “Nothing to arouse us or make us wander down to help anyone.”

Two police officers are receiving support after the shooting.

Barrett said the entire incident unfolded over about four minutes, and the man who died was known to police due to his medical condition.

“Our officers will be getting full welfare support, and we will wrap around them to make sure we can offer them any services we can to help them work their way through this,” he said.

“Our priority at the moment with those two members is their mental wellbeing. Making sure they’ve got mental support, making sure their families have got mental support, and that they are well cared for.”

Homicide squad detectives will investigate the matter with oversight from Professional Standards Command, which is standard procedure for a fatal police shooting.

Police appealed for anyone who witnessed the incident or who could provide further information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

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