A counter-terrorism officer who fatally shot 18 year-old terror suspect Numan Haider broke down as he gave evidence about the moment Haider lunged at him with a knife, saying he had “no choice” but to shoot the teenager.
The Victorian police officer, identified only as “officer A”, told an inquest in Melbourne that when he and his colleague “officer B” walked outside to the car park of the Endeavour Hills police station to meet with Haider on 23 September 2014, they both shook his hand and introduced themselves.
Officer A said Haider then produced a knife from his pocket and lunged at him. He broke down as he described blocking the first couple of blows with his forearm.
Coroner John Olle ordered the court to take a short adjournment, before officer A continued reading his witness statement.
Officer A said Haider then attempted to stab him in the ribs and stomach, but that he again blocked the blow, receiving a stab wound to his arm.
“I have no doubt he was trying to kill me, and had I not blocked the knife with my arm, I would have been stabbed in the rib and stomach area,” officer A said. “I fell backwards on the carpark surface. Haider then continued past me, and got into contact with officer B.”
He heard officer B yell out the word “knife”, he said.
Officer A said he got to his feet and yelled out to Haider “Get off him.”
“Haider was crouching directly over him and with his right hand he still held the knife,” officer A said. “He was attempting to put the knife into officer B’s stomach and stab him.”
Officer A said he considered other options to shooting Haider for “a quarter of a second” but realised pepper spray would be inappropriate because he had to do something more immediate. Though he was fearful of shooting officer B, he drew his firearm.
“I aimed it toward Haider, and fired,” officer A said. “At the time that I fired the shot, I was in front of where Haider and officer B were. The shot impacted on the top of his forehead above the hairline. He was lying on his back, and I could see blood travelling down to the car park area.”
After 15 seconds, officer A said he knew Haider was dead.
The entire incident was over in less than a minute, the coroner heard.
Officer A said he called on officer B to get help, and remained in position, his firearm pointed towards Haider, until he was led to a paramedic. Officer A said he required surgery on his arm, and said that he still has numbness in two fingers, and that full functioning of his hand had not been restored. Officer B was stabbed in his chest, his left shoulder and in his face.
Earlier in the day, officer B told the coroner that had it not been for the actions of officer A, he believes he would have been decapitated by Haider.
While intelligence the officers received shortly before the incident indicated that Haider might have a knife, they were unable to verify the claim, officer A said. There had been no indication in the weeks leading up to the incident that Haider was violent or had plans to harm police officers, he said.
“I had no inkling something like this might happen,” he said.
Haider’s parents and brother were present in the court room, however officer A and B gave evidence to the coroner via videolink to protect their identities.
The inquest continues.
