Australian police shoot dead radicalised teen who stabbed a man in Perth

Police in Western Australia shot deada radicalised 16-year-old boy who stabbed a man in a car park in Perth, the news agency AFP reported on Sunday (May 5)citingauthorities. According to the police, the teen rushed at the policewhoresponded by shooting him twice with Tasers before firing a single fatal shot.

"There are indications he hadbeen radicalisedonline. But I want to reassure the communityat this stageit appears he acted solely and alone," PremierRoger Cook said.

The middle-aged man whowas stabbedwas in a serious but stable condition and appeared to be doing well, Western Australia Police Commissioner Col Blanch told reporters.

How did the stabbing unfold

During the press conference, Banch said that police received a call late Saturday from a male warning that he was going to commit acts of violence. The caller did not give his name or location, Banch added.

Within minutes, another emergency call alerted police that a "male with a knife was running around the car park" in Willetton, a southern suburb of Perth, Banch further said.

Police body camera images showed the teenager refused officers' demands that he put down the knife, the commissioner added.

Cops fired two Tasers at the 16-year-oldbutboth of them did not have the full desired effect, Blanch pointed out. The teenager thencontinued to advance on the third officer with a firearmwhofired a single shot and fatally wounded the man.

The boy died in a hospital later on Saturday.

'Attacker had mental, online radicalisation issues'

Banch also told reporters that the teenagerhad "mental issues but also online radicalisation issues."

The attacker had for the past couple of years been part of a "countering violence extremism programme" for people who show signs of "religious or issues-motivated" concerns, he said.

This attack in Perth came less than a month aftera knife-wielding assailant killed six people in a shopping mall in Sydney.The mentally ill knifeman, 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, was tracked down, shot and killed by a police inspector.

(With inputs from agencies)