CCTV shows ‘radicalised’ boy, 16, chasing down police car before being shot dead in Willetton

The 16-year-old boy shot dead by police after charging at them with a knife and stabbing a man was caught on camera chasing a police car and officers before the shooting.

The chilling video emerged of the Saturday night Willetton attack which Premier Roger Cook described as “confronting” and leaving national leaders decrying extremism once again.

Police were called to the Bunnings Willetton carpark shortly after 10pm on Saturday night, after receiving a call from a member of the public about a male with a knife around High Road and Leech Highway.

Minutes before, triple zero had been contacted by the boy himself, threatening acts of violence, but not giving his name or location.

Vision of the carpark, taken from the CCTV of a Korean restaurant, shows officers pulling up into the lot, being chased by the boy on foot around 10.20pm.

The three responding officers are eventually seen trying to reach the boy before he was tasered.

Praising the officers’ “professional” response after seeing body-worn camera footage, Police Commissioner Col Blanch said when the tasers failed to stop the boy, he then charged at officers with a 30cm kitchen knife before he was shot.

First aid was immediately provided to the boy but he could not be saved.

“I have seen the body-worn video. I am comfortable with the police professional approach within training,” Commissioner Blanch said.

“They have done their job and I know that police officer and his extended colleagues are hurting this morning as a result of the outcome that they have done their job.”

A man aged in his 30s, unknown to the boy, was found close by with a stab wound to his back and had a punctured lung. He was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital and remains in a serious but stable condition.

Police Commissioner Col Blanch said during the night, members of the Muslim community had called police, after the boy had made comments online.

“(The teenager) posted something online to make them concerned but we believe he sent relevant messages to some of those members who immediately responded by calling police,” he said.

“I do want to thank members of the Muslim community who did that because that enabled us to identify rapidly who this individual was and respond as quick as we need to look at.”

Speaking at the snap press conference on Sunday morning, Premier Roger Cook praised members of Perth’s Muslim community who had contacted police to warn about the boy’s radicalisation online.

“Our police responded within minutes where they encountered a very confronting situation but their rapid and professional response kept our community safe,” he said.

“My heart goes out to everyone affected by this incident.”

The leader of Perth’s largest mosque, the Nasir Mosque, Imam Syed Wadood Janud condemned the knife attack, saying it had left members of the Muslim community shocked and confused.

“We’re extremely concerned about Islamophobia,” he said. “Sometimes the backlash can be very harsh, and that’s why I want to reach out … we are more than happy to hear any concerns that the community would have.”

Imam Janud, who did not know anything about the teenager or what triggered his attack, stressed that his community lived by the motto of “love for all, hatred for none”.

“We condemn any act of violence which is committed in our name in the name of our religion, a religion that literally means peace,” he said.

“So that is where our emotions stems from, that when our religion is hijacked and tarnished, because of the acts of an individual.”

Police at the scene worked through the night and wrapped up their initial investigations on Sunday at about 7.30am as volunteers from a sporting group set up a sausage sizzle.

But around 10.30am, the fundraising tent had been dismantled and customers were being turned away from the usually jam-packed hardware store, with a security guard telling would-be shoppers that there had been an incident overnight.

Three detectives went inside, emerging some 20 minutes later.

Bunnings confirmed the store was temporarily closed as staff continued to assist police with inquiries and worked to re-open as soon as possible.

High Road residents Ameya and Gouri Khandekar, who have lived near the Bunnings for the past three years, heard sirens but thought nothing of it in the otherwise quiet suburb.

“It’s scary,” Ms Khandekar told reporters.

“I have two boys and my older one’s 12 who’s just started to go to high school and you have to be careful with what they watch … watching things online.

“Because of the school zones, it’s a very family-oriented suburb. Quiet, friendly – the reason we’re here.”

Mr Khandekar said it was “quite shocking” to have such a crime on his doorstep following a recent spate of knife attacks including the Bondi Junction stabbings.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese thanked WA Police for “acting swiftly to contain the incident”.

“My thoughts are with those who have been affected by the incident in the Perth suburb of Willetton overnight,” Mr Albanese said in a statement.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the incident was “deeply concerning”.

“My thoughts are with the WA police officers who acted quickly to contain the situation, to the victim of the stabbing incident who we hope and pray is recovering well, and to those in the community affected,” he said.

Mr Dutton said reports the boy might have been radicalised online were of “deep concern”, repeating Mr Albanese’s declaration that there was “no place for violent extremism” in Australia.

An Australian Federal Police spokesperson said it was aware of the incident and was working with WA Police.