Coroner says cop breached procedure in shooting
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A Victorian coroner has found a police officer may have committed an offence when he shot an armed man in Melbourne five years ago.
Twenty-seven-year-old Gregory Biggs was affected by drugs and was waving around two samurai swords when he was shot by police in Lygon Street in Carlton North in 2004.
Coroner Audrey Jamieson said while Sergeant Samuel Cahir had no option but to shoot Mr Biggs, he did not follow proper procedure which required him to call for back up and wait for his colleague before getting out of the police car and approaching Mr Biggs.
She said Sergeant Cahir failed to take reasonable care and may have committed an offence under Workplace Health and Safety laws.
Coroner Jamieson told the court that while the case was a pertinent reminder of the violence faced by police, it also highlighted the tragic consequences of officers relying on bravado and spontaneity instead of their training.
She told the court she was handing her findings onto the Director of Public Prosecutions.
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