Police in New South Wales have shot and killed a man armed with a bow and arrow during a welfare check, marking the third fatal incident involving officers in the state this year.
Confrontation at Gunnedah home
Officers were called to a residence in Gunnedah, near Tamworth, at 1.40pm on Friday afternoon. The call was made due to concerns for the welfare of a man at the property. Authorities state that they initially spoke to the man outside his home before he retreated inside.
He then allegedly emerged from the house carrying a bow and arrow, forcing the attending officers to retreat to their police vehicle to seek cover. The situation escalated rapidly when the man is said to have then aimed the weapon directly at the police.
Officers forced to open fire
In response to the perceived threat, the officers discharged their firearms, striking the man. Paramedics who were called to the scene provided immediate medical treatment, but the man was pronounced dead at the location. A critical incident investigation has been launched by the New South Wales Police Force.
This investigation will be subject to independent review and monitoring by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission, as is standard procedure for all police shootings in the state.
A troubling start to the year for NSW police
The death in Gunnedah represents at least the third fatality resulting from interactions with New South Wales police in 2024. The first incident occurred on 5 January in Sydney's inner west, where a man died in hospital after suffering a medical episode following the use of pepper spray by officers during a domestic violence call-out.
Just two days later, on 7 January, police were involved in a six-hour stand-off with a 49-year-old man believed to be experiencing a mental health episode. After barricading himself inside a house and reportedly arming himself with a shard of glass, the man was shot dead by officers when he allegedly took hold of one of them.
These consecutive incidents have brought renewed scrutiny to police protocols, particularly concerning responses to welfare checks and encounters with individuals in mental distress. The community of Gunnedah and the wider New South Wales public await the findings of the forthcoming investigation.
