A man has died after being shot by police outside a house in Perth's northern suburbs.
The shooting happened in front of a home on Macdonald Avenue in Padbury around 10pm last night after local police were called to support St John Ambulance.
Speaking at the scene, WA Police Superintendent Tony Flack said two officers had approached the residence's front door when another occupant of the residence ran out and shouted a warning.
He said a 35-year-old man then rushed towards the officers, armed with a knife, naked and covered in his own blood.
"The officers have backed off down a very steep driveway, this person has continued to move quickly onto the officer and at close range, he's been forced to pull a firearm and fire two shots," Superintendent Flack told reporters at the scene.
"I can only say that a large naked male running at you at speed with a knife, you have to act really quickly and really professionally, and I'm very proud of the way the officers handled themselves.
"They certainly prevented further injury."
Superintendent Flack said the people living at the house had called an ambulance after the man had inflicted wounds to his own neck.
"He was bleeding profusely, and they called him in as a medical emergency," he said.
Officers remain at the scene, with a police investigation underway.
Officer followed training: police
The officer who shot the man was a first-class constable and Superintendent Flack said his actions complied with training.
"Police are well trained to do this but irrespective of that, it doesn't come natural to any human being to take life, and the impact on the police officer we will monitor very closely," he said.
Superintendent Flack said the incident was confronting.
"I haven't seen something as scary as this for a long, long time," he said.
Police say the man was known to them and the investigation would be managed by the Homicide Squad and overseen by the Internal Affairs Unit.
