In northeast Melbourne, a stabbing turned into a police gunshot that claimed the lives of a mother and her daughter.
About 6.30 p.m. yesterday, there were early reports of a 26-year-old woman attempting to set fire to another 52-year-old woman. This prompted police to be called to a Kett Street house.
Acting Superintendent Scott Colson of the Victoria Police said today that when officers arrived on the scene, they found a woman “stabbing her mother” and had “no choice” but to shoot her.
“Police called on the daughter to drop the knife, however she continued to stab the mother and the members and what I understand was that they had no other choice but to shoot her” , Colson stated.
Acting Superintendent Scott Colson reported that there was only one police shooting.
The police were “confronted with a terrible dilemma and they’ve acted absolutely appropriately in their training and within the guidelines.”
“And for that they have my full support along with the broader organisation.”
“Unfortunately, and tragically, both the mother and the daughter died.”
The one police fired killed the daughter, who was thought to be 26 years old.
The mother, who was in her early 50s, was stabbed in the chest and died at the scene despite the efforts of paramedics to rescue her.
According to police, they were not searching for anyone else connected to the incident.
Whenever a police firearm is discharged, procedure dictates that homicide detectives work under the supervision of the Professional Standards Command to conduct their investigation.
According to police, at the time of the stabbing, the younger woman was out on bond for an unrelated offense.
Following the horrific tragedy, the police officers who attended to the stabbing will be taking time off from work.