Where did that occur Davey ?

I have no particular sympathy for police who shoot people who are much lesser armed. They could, for example, have used a taser or shot the guy in the leg or other extremity. Having said that, they do have a right to protect themselves in confrontational situations. Davey is living in la la land if he thinks he could disarm a 40 odd year old fit guy armed with a toothpick much less a baseball back.

Geomac, then they need to be retrained. Waving a baseball bat around should not carry the death penalty. If police cant handle these situations, they should not be in the job. All too often we hear of mentally ill people or heated domestic disputes where one party is vehemently upset - police are so concerned for their own safety that they will kill innocent or misunderstood members of the public. Look how many have been "tasered" to death and that is a measure supposed to save lives.

Years ago, to enter our police forces, candidates had to reach a minimum standard of height and weight. These days just about anyone gets in - would not be surprised to see former jockeys in uniform. Its a tough job requiring tough, well trained people. They are there to protect the public from criminals and danger and should not be a danger to the public, themselves.

I think it was Victoria Abby.

We are very trigger happy here in Vic and the cops are dwarfs like dopey.

Did you know that in Victoria alone a dozen cops a year get shot with their own pistols?

I say give them air pistols firing darts of sleepy drugs or paint ball guns.

To all those who feel the action taken was excessive. Do not forget the actual Police personel who were required to make a decision quite quickly once all efforts to subdue the assailant. 

I suppose you have all been confronted by a drug fused raving and ranting person weilding a baseball bat, well if not don't make stupid comments about use of force by the Police, their training or who can join the force.

The height requirements were reduced to bolster recruit numbers, not everyone wants to become a police member.

I am extremely confident that if a situation arises where you are in danger you will want the police to take all action to secure their own xecurity as well as yours.

Try coming up with something that is not critical of people who have made a decision to keep the likes of you safe from harm and which puts them in harms way.

If you are all so convinced the police need better training, I suggest you come up with the solution to the perceived problem, put together the training plan and send it to the Minister, Commissioner and Police Union. Don't forget to include yourselves as the facilitators of the training. 

I personally have no problem with any police officer when confronted by a drug crazed individual waiving about any form of weapon, having used all other resources available to shoot to kill that individual. It is the intention of that individual to kill whoever gets in their way.

As I was not there I do not feel I can comment;  all I will say is that when a person is under the influence of drugs anything can happen.

Any dealings that I've had with the police have always been resolved to satisfaction.

No idea how they are in other states but I for one am pleased they are there.

They have a tough job to do.

I think that Australian poice should not have pistols on their belt like the wild west of America.

Have one or two in the car locked until they REALLY need them...try all other methods first. I really dislike talking to somebody armed with a pistol unless we are at war.

I have not forgotten the sad case in Sydney several years ago where a young Brazillian student was tasered to death by at least 8 (possibly more) policemen. He was not threatening them, he was psychotic and running away from them. They chased him down, tackled him to the ground and tasered him so many times that he died. He was 21, living with his sister and her family and had never had any run-ins with the law. He had been out with friends, they took a drug and he became psychotic. A kind shopkeeper in Newtown gave him water and a packet of biscuits. An anonymous member of the public thought he was holding up the shop and rang the police who began their chase. A horrible story - the death of this young man should never have happened. Basically he was murdered. The inquest outcome was that the police were negligent and needed to be better trained to deal with people who are drug affected or mentally ill. It appears that nothing has changed.

There is no denying that police have a tough job to do but there are certainly many on the force who are "thugs in uniform". It is these "bad eggs" that I have a problem with. I believe that some are way too hasty in using weaponry, whether that be batons, tasers, pistols etc when less dangerous/lethal options could be used. I recall the case of a mentally disturbed man on Bondi beach several years ago - he was unarmed but threatening police I believe and was shot and killed by them. To me, such instances are simply unacceptable and the officers responsible should be charged with manslaughter at the very least.

If police are fired on or attacked by some crazed individual with a knife for example, lethal force is justified but far too many people have been killed by police in recent years for the issue to be ignored.

I agree that the police do have a tough job to do these days and in many cases I don't envy them. But there are always the bad apples. I feel that a bad cop is a danger to society at large. There should be more stringent testing as to character, mental status and past history before someone is allowed to enter the police force.

As far as I'm aware when the police are called to a trouble scene there are usually two officers. I don't know how many were involved in this case, but surely if there were two, they must be trained well enough to tackle one man with a baseball bat? 

Two and both shot the guy in the chest.

I shot many in Ireland years ago.........in the knees if they were unarmed.

They always stayed on the ground after being hit.

After more than 15 years arresting the baddest of the bad Steve thought he had seen it all – that is until he was called as an evidence collector to a murder scene.

He had just seen his kids in a school Christmas pageant and still had the celebratory balloons in the unmarked on-call police car when he was ordered back on duty.

Two children had been killed, "not much younger than my kids at the time."