Threat from a blade 'cannot be understated', Central Station police shooting inquest told
A NSW Police weapons instructor who wrote the agency's Taser policy has told an inquest that frontline police are expected to carry one Taser between two officers, but that did not happen on the evening a man was fatally shot at Central Station.
Danukul Mokmool, 30, was shot dead on July 26, 2017 after he ran at police outside a florist while holding a pair of scissors in each hand. Mr Mokmool, who had a history of psychosis, was likely experiencing a psychotic episode at the time, the NSW Coroner's Court heard.
On Friday, weapons and defensive tactics instructor Sergeant Justin Waters said frontline police wearing uniforms are expected to have one Taser between two officers. Previously, an officer giving evidence seemed to believe wearing the weapon was a matter of individual choice.
Counsel assisting, Adrian Williams, asked if that expectation of wearing the Taser had been made clear to officers.
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"If it hasn't been, it will be after this particular matter," Sergeant Waters said.
The weapons instructor previously said that even if there had been a Taser at the scene, using it would have been futile because it is a single-shot device that needs to be armed with a switch on the side, and if both probes do not hit a target they remain an active threat.
He said if a Taser was used on Mr Mokmool, a firearm would likely have been used "at exactly the same time" by another officer nearby.
Mr Mokmool was fatally shot about 21 seconds after police arrived at the florist, responding to an urgent call that a man was holding a knife to a shopkeeper's throat.
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Sergeant Waters said the two officers who shot at Mr Mokmool identified an "immediate risk" to their lives and responded according to their training. Senior Constable Frederick Tse fired three rounds, while Senior Constable Jakob Harrison fired one round.
"The threat from a bladed weapon cannot be understated," Sergeant Waters said.
"I don't believe there's anywhere in there that those officers could have done anything different."
Giving evidence on Friday, forensic pharmacologist John Farrar said when an autopsy was done on Mr Mokmool he was found to have a concentration of methadone in his blood of 0.98mg/litre.
Dr Farrar said Mr Mokmool took one dose of methadone a day, a drug usually given to people to wean them off opiates, and would have been at or near "peak blood concentration" of the substance at the time of the shooting.
He said if a person is consuming methadone on a regular basis, nothing in its effects would cause Mr Mokmool's behaviour on July 26.
Mr Mokmool's mother Supaporn Chomphoo and brother Charlie Huynh were among his relatives to attend the inquest on Friday.
Speaking at the time of his brother's death, Mr Huynh said it was "pretty heartbreaking" and described Mr Mokmool as a lovely person and an "innocent young bloke".
The inquest will resume in June.