<http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24789014-661,00.html>
Family of teen shot by police call them 'trigger happy'
December 12, 2008 06:17am
UPDATED 9.30am: A WITNESS to the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy by police last night says she heard seven shots fired.
The family of the teen has labelled the officers "trigger happy".
The witness also said the teen looked like he was high on drugs, and was "terrifying" before he was killed.
The 15-year-old died after being shot in the chest by three police officers in a skatepark near the Northcote Plaza Shopping Centre.
Police say the teen had threatened them with knives before they were forced to fire.
Hariet Stewart, 29, who lives nearby, was walking home from the shops when she saw the teen running around carrying two knives.
“I’m not easily scared and I quickly went into hiding myself, having seen him, but he was just a kid," she said.
“From what I could tell, he looked like he was either incredibly angry or on ice or something.
“I thought perhaps he had a vendetta."
Ms Stewart said she thought it was “outrageous” that police could shoot dead a teenage boy.
“I think it’s awful, especially with what has happened in Athens with the police killing people," she said.
The three police officers involved had twice used capsicum spray on the boy without success, and fired a warning shot into the ground.
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Speaking on behalf of the family, friend James Wendt said the family planned to take action against the police for what they believed was heavy-handed tactics.
"The family will be talking to their solicitors,'' Mr Wendt said. "They believe the police are hiding something.
"There are witnesses willing to testify that police were trigger happy.
"He was just a young kid and he is going to be a very missed young boy.''
But Assistant Commissioner Tim Cartwright said the officers had done what they could before resorting to using their weapons, and there was nothing to explain why the boy was so agitated.
"There's nothing to suggest any of those things to us yet, there's no suggestion iof mental illness or drug use," he said.
Mr Cartwright said he had met with the boy's mother and extended family, and they were suspicious of the reasons behind the shooting and felt the police were hiding information, but Mr Cartwright said the Coroner would ensure a "full and frank" investigation.
"Our condolences are certainly with the family," he said, adding that the police officers - two men and two women from Preston and Northcote - were "pretty shaken''.
"We shouldn't lose members of the community this way,'' he said. "We train our police members, they've foamed him, they talked to him and they've done what they can. It's a dreadful event."
He said it was a "dreadful tragedy".
A spokeswoman for Victoria Police said it is believed the three members who fired their guns included two policemen from Northcote, a Leading Senior Constable and a Senior Constable, as well as a female Constable from Preston.
According to witnesses the boy had entered a Kmart store shortly before the shooting in an agitated state and demanded knives from staff.
He grabbed several, left the store, slashing boxes on his way out and behaving in an agitated manner, witnesses claimed.
He was shot by police in All Nations Park, east of the shopping centre.
Police said they found him carrying two knives.
They allegedly approached him and asked him to throw them down. He refused and was sprayed twice with capsicum foam.
The teenager, from Northcote, then fled to the nearby skate park, still armed with the knives.
When he approached four officers - two male and two female - they retreated, then fired several shots, but the boy continued to advance.
They fired several more shots, hitting him in the chest. Three of the four officers fired. Paramedics went to the scene but the boy was dead.
The victim's family gathered near the scene and huddled together.
Speaking at the scene earlier, Mr Wendt said that he and the dead boy's brother had gone looking for him.
"He is a little bloke, just a kid,'' Mr Wendt said. ``I was with his brother searching for him. The kid's been through a lot. His old man had died of cancer.''
Mr Wendt said the teenager had his troubles but was a good person.
"He was the gentlest kid ever,'' he said. "He would just break down every now and again when he couldn't handle it all.''
Witnesses described hearing up to six shots, and one local told 3AW radio people in the neighbourhood had been nervous when they heard about a person wielding a knife in the area.
"I heard there was a man with a knife or two in the area," he said.
Police are promising a full investigation into the shooting, with the Homicide Squad and internal investigators from the Ethical Standards Department rushing to the scene.
Investigators remained at the scene throughout the night. The boy's body was removed from the scene at 5am.
/Rant on
FFS
they gave him the options the pep spray did nothing he went on, what was he expecting to sit down have a tea, a chat and a hug FFS the Police were DOING THERE JOB
if he went on a stabby stabby craze then what would the sheeple be saying then...
I think the media's use the word 'victim' to describe the deceased is very emotive.
Victim isn't a word I'd use to describe him. Victims don't put themselves into a dangerous situation, they're forced into them.
/ Rant off
I feel sorry for the Cops involved it would not be a good time for them atm
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