A police officer has shot a man dead in Sydney’s south-west, seconds after the man allegedly stabbed him twice.
His parents are now pushing the government to do more to improve mental health support.
Police say Marco Fortoni from Middleton Grange in Liverpool was spotted armed with a knife on Bird Walton Avenue around 11pm last night.
A member of the public reported the 34-year-old threw the weapon at their car.
When police arrived, Fortoni allegedly attacked them before they could even get out of their vehicle.
Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden said the man rushed towards one police car before striking the officer with the knife through an open window.
“I’m very thankful that the driver of the police vehicle – a 33-year-old senior-constable – was not seriously injured,” McFadden said.
“We are very close to something that could have been fatal or life-threatening.”
“The damage to (the officer’s) operational vest, was around his right shoulder, collarbone area, we’re talking centimetres from hitting another part of his body and causing catastrophic injuries.”
In a matter of seconds, Fortoni was Tasered.
Police said it failed to stop him, leading the senior constable to shoot him twice.
Officers did CPR until paramedics arrived, but he could not be saved.
Their response is now the subject of a critical incident investigation.
9News spoke to Fortoni’s parents, who said he had an intellectual disability and mental health issues.
They said they wished the system did more to help him
His mother and father shared photos of him relaxing on the lounge with his dog, Duke.
McFadden said an investigation into the incident was under way and the man’s frame of mind would be subject to inquiry. 
“At this stage, we understand the male had been walking on the street,” he said.
“The people that he’s interacted with, in that civilian vehicle, I don’t believe that they’re known to him, and that’s the thing that’s caused the member of the public concern and contacted the police.”
The incident will also be subject to an independent review. 
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