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Gosnells police shooting: Internal WAPOL investigation clears cops involved

Michael TraillThe West Australian
Scene of fatal police shooting in Gosnells.
Camera IconScene of fatal police shooting in Gosnells. Credit: Simon Santi/The West Australian

The police officers involved in the fatal shooting of a man inside a Gosnells home have been cleared of wrongdoing during an internal investigation.

Police fired two or three shots that killed the man — in his 30s — about 1am on Monday following a “very violent struggle” that resulted in one office being stabbed in the arm and another hospitalised.

They had been called to the property following reports of two men arguing inside.

Acting Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the was “no fault” in the actions of the officers involved.

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“The police investigation has concluded. . . it has (now) been referred to the coroner, we’re finding no fault in relation to those officers,” he told 6PR Radio on Wednesday.

“Now the coroner may find that, so that is still a matter for the coroner.”

Mr Blanch said the police investigation was “short lived” because body camera vision was provided by three of the four officers at the scene.

Scene of fatal police shooting in Gosnells.
Camera IconScene of fatal police shooting in Gosnells. Credit: Simon Santi/The West Australian

“The officers have significant welfare support around them,” Mr Blanch said earlier this week.

“No officer expects to go to work and have this occur to them. So that's something that they will need to work through themselves and I support our officers in getting that support.”

The four officers involved have been placed on critical incident leave — standard practice for anyone involved in a police shooting.

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