Officers fire on hospital attacker

A MAN in his 50s was shot by police officers with a firearm and a Taser after he brandished two knives outside a Sydney hospital.

The 54- year- old yesterday was in an induced coma at Nepean Hospital after the incident outside the hospital’s emergency department on Thursday afternoon.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Jones says it was “fortuitous” the officers were at the hospital for another job when the man started behaving erratically.

“There’s no indication he was there to attack or confront police officers ... it was purely by coincidence police were there for an unrelated matter,” Mr Jones told reporters in Sydney.

NSW Police say the man was shot when he attempted to stab one of the officers.

Mr Jones said one officer used a firearm and the other discharged his Taser.

Both weapons were fired “simultaneously”, the assistant commissioner said.

At this stage, there’s nothing to indicate the man suffers mental health issues, detectives say.

It’s not known if he was on drugs but Mr Jones noted the 54- year- old was “acting in an erratic manner, to say the least, and brandishing two knives”.

“He didn’t attempt, from what I understand, to assault anybody. He was just acting in an erratic manner.”

The man’s car had a note inside “that indicated there may have been an explosive device contained within the vehicle”.

As a result, the area was evacuated, including a number of floors of the hospital.

The car was examined by the bomb squad and there was no device found, the assistant commissioner said yesterday.

“It was declared safe and the hospital was reopened again and is functioning as normal at this point.”

The man allegedly behind Thursday’s attack is yet to be charged.

He remained in an induced coma following surgery so at the time of going to press had not been interviewed.

A drug- affected patient allegedly held a pair of scissors to a female doctor’s throat at the same emergency department in early 2016.

NSW Police Sergeant Luke Wharbuton almost lost his life after being shot twice in the leg in the ensuing struggle at Nepean Hospital.

Surgeon Michael Wong – who was stabbed more than a dozen times by a mentally ill patient in a Melbourne hospital in 2014 – says improving security must be a priority.

( THE MAN WAS) ACTING IN AN ERRATIC MANNER, TO SAY THE LEAST, AND BRANDISHING TWO KNIVES ASST COMMISSIONER MARK JONES