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Terror suspect shot in Sydney street

Tuesday Nov 8 2005

A terror suspect being followed in Sydney opened fire on police officers on Tuesday, wounding one, before being felled by a police gunshot to the neck, it has been alleged.

As the critically-injured suspect was rushed to hospital, a bomb squad robot found a second gun in the man's backpack, police said.

The suspect, in his 20s, underwent surgery and was in a stable condition on Tuesday night under police guard in Liverpool Hospital.

Police said the man, whose injury was not life threatening, would be charged.

The dramatic clash in a suburban street followed a series of raids in Sydney and Melbourne in which 16 other suspects were charged, and which police say foiled a major terrorist attack.

Witnesses said they saw the man, carrying a backpack, draw a handgun and fire at least two shots at uniformed police officers who had confronted him in Wilson Rd, Green Valley, about 9am (AEDT).

Officers had been tracking the man in Wilson Rd, where he was spotted leaving a vehicle, police said.

"Four officers from Green Valley police station attended Wilson Road, saw the man that was of interest and as they did, he saw them," NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Graeme Morgan.

"Witnesses have told police that he produced a firearm and fired at the police."

The man fired twice, with one bullet grazing an officer's hand before a colleague fired back, it was alleged.

"One of the police officers returned fire and the person of interest to police was wounded in the neck," Mr Morgan said.

Of the injured police officer, Mr Morgan said later, "He's fine."

Authorities feared the backpack might have contained explosives, prompting them to cordon off the street and evacuate about 30 residents.

As curious bystanders gathered, a bomb-disposal robot manoeuvred painstakingly towards the place where the man was shot to determine the contents of the backpack.

After a delicate operation, police revealed the bag contained some papers and a handgun - in addition to the one used to fire at police - but no explosives.

An investigation team from the State Crime Command has been established to determine the circumstances of the shooting.

Mr Morgan defended the officers' decision to shoot "in the urgency of the moment".

"There isn't time for niceties," Mr Morgan told ABC radio.

He said when shot at, police were entitled to return fire, and to aim at the largest part of an attacker's body.

Mr Morgan would not elaborate on the man's link to the terror raids.

"The role of the State Crime Command here is to conduct a completely independent investigation of the shooting," he said.

"We're not involved in the counter-terrorism operation that took place elsewhere in Sydney this morning."