A WITNESS has told of the harrowing moment he locked his door and called police when he saw a woman with an axe in Stockton, who died after the police response.
Syd Talaghani owns the barber shop below the flat where the woman is believed to have lived on the corner of Mitchell Street and Queen Street.
He told the Newcastle Herald two people he understood to be real estate agents had gone to "have a chat" with the 47-year-old woman on Thursday afternoon.
He said he then saw her holding an axe, and at another point, an item that appeared to be a baton.
Mr Talaghani said he locked the door to his shop High Powered Barbers and told the people that were trying to talk to the woman to call the police.
"I said 'stay away, mate'," Mr Talaghani said.
He has only owned the barber shop for about six weeks, and said when he first met the woman that lived upstairs, they were friendly and he cut her hair.
He said things quickly deteriorated and he became worried about the woman's behaviour.
He said waking up to the news that she had died after a police Taser was used on Thursday night after a nine-hour siege was sad.
"It's been traumatic," he told the Herald.
"It's sad, everyone deserves a good life."
Mr Talaghani said he moved into the barber shop in July and he believed the woman had moved in not too long before that.
He said he had not been able to return to the complex on Friday morning while police remained at the scene.
Officers rushed to the unit complex just after 12.30pm on Thursday after reports a woman was threatening people with an axe.
It is alleged the 47-year-old woman threatened officers with the axe before barricading herself inside a unit.
A police operation blocked off Queen Street and specialist tactical officers including police negotiators were called in before police were able to gain entry to the property about 9.45pm.
Police said they used a number of tactical options to take the woman into custody including the use of a Taser.
She was then escorted to an ambulance, however, her condition deteriorated a short time later, and she was taken to John Hunter Hospital, where she later died.
A crime scene was established and a critical incident team from the Homicide Squad will now investigate all circumstances surrounding the incident.
That investigation will be subject to an independent review.
The 47-year-old woman's death comes four months after a widely-publicised incident involving a 95-year-old great-grandmother.
Clare Nowland, who was suffering from dementia, died seven days after she was tasered by police at Yallambee Lodge aged care facility in Cooma in May.
Police allege Mrs Nowland was holding a knife at the time.
Last week Senior Constable Kristian White, 33, appeared in Cooma Local Court to face charges of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault.
The case has been adjourned until October 4.
- Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; Men's Referral Service 1300 776 491; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; beyondblue 1300 224 636; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.
