Arabic version: الشرطة تقتل امرأة بإطلاق النار في شرق أديلايد

According to ABC News, police shot and killed a woman during a confrontation in Firle, in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs, after being called to Gwynne Street at about 2am on Thursday. Police said they had received reports that a woman was armed with an axe and alleged she threatened officers when they arrived.

Police said a taser was used but was ineffective. Officers then discharged a firearm, striking the woman, police said. Officers attempted first aid before ambulance paramedics arrived, but the woman died at the scene. A police officer sustained minor injuries in the incident.

Major Crime Investigation Branch detectives, Forensic Response Section officers and Internal Investigation Section investigators are examining the circumstances, police said. A report will be prepared for the coroner. Gwynne Street has been closed to traffic while the investigation continues, with drivers asked to avoid the area.

A neighbour who knew the woman told 891 ABC Adelaide she was shocked and deeply saddened, saying the woman was well known in the street as lovely and interested in gardening. The neighbour said she was woken by loud bangs and later heard yelling. Another nearby resident said she was shocked, describing the woman as someone who appeared to live a reserved life and who she had seen gardening.

Derrick McManus, a former STAR Group officer who survived being shot during a 1994 siege, said his sympathies were with the woman and her family, and that the mental health of officers involved also needed consideration. Police said they would provide further information later in the morning.