A 32-year-old Indian national was shot dead by Australian police on Tuesday after he allegedly stabbed a cleaner at a train station in Sydney and threatened law enforcement officers, media reports said.
Mohamed Rahmathullah Syed Ahmed, who hails from Tamil Nadu, was identified by the Consulate General of India in Sydney as the man who was fatally shot by police.
Ahmed allegedly attacked a 28-year-old cleaner at the Auburn train station in Sydney's west on Tuesday before arriving at Auburn police station five minutes later, Sydney Morning Herald newspaper quoted police officials as saying.
“Two police officers were leaving the police station when they were confronted by Ahmed, who tried to attack them,” the report said.
A police officer fired three shots, two of which hit Ahmed in the chest. A probationary constable also used her Taser on him, it said. “Ahmed was treated at the scene by paramedics and was rushed to a local hospital, but was pronounced dead,” the report said.
Detectives are investigating whether mental health played a part in Ahmed stabbing a cleaner and then threatening the police officers, it said.
Ahmed was living in Australia on a bridging visa. The Guardian reported that the attacker came to Australia from India in 2019 on a student visa. He had previously interacted with police during the Covid pandemic, when law enforcement knocked on doors to ensure western Sydney residents were complying with lockdown restrictions, the publication reported.
According to reports, paramedics also treated the victim and was taken to Westmead hospital; he was reported to be in stable condition.
“The incident is extremely disturbing and unfortunate. We have formally taken up the matter with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New South Wales Office as well as state police authorities,” the Consulate said.
At a press conference on Tuesday, New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said the officers had just seconds to respond and were left with no choice but to shoot Ahmed.
“I fully support these officers. It's traumatic. It's a significant incident at one of our police stations,” he said.
“There just isn't an impending time. It is immediate. He launches through the glass doors at the officers; they had very little time to react," he said. Smith said the counter-terrorism unit would be brought in to help in the investigation, the report added.
(With PTI inputs.)
