Taser victim had been self-harming

A female police officer of 21 years' standing was armed with a Taser stun gun when she shot a man who had stabbed himself in a house in Sydney’s south-west, police say.

The 36-year-old man, whom neighbours named as Adam, died in hospital after the sergeant shot him once in the kitchen of his father’s Lakemba home this morning.

Assistant Commissioner Stuart Wilkins said Adam had stabbed himself and was being treated by two paramedics when the sergeant and three other officers arrived.

Adam got up from the kitchen floor and confronted the police officers, grabbing a kitchen knife as he went, Mr Wilkins said.

‘‘During that confrontation that male has been shot once by police from Campsie Local Area Command," he said.

‘‘A further struggle has ensued and the male has committed self harm to himself again.

‘‘Police have wrestled the knife from that male person. He was given immediate attention from the ambulance personnel who were on scene.’’

Mr Wilkins said the sergeant had a Taser with her at the time and was trained to use it.

He would not say whether the sergeant used it or capsicum spray before firing her gun.

She was undergoing counselling before being formally interviewed about the shooting.

Mr Wilkins confirmed that Adam's father, Adrian Salter, had called triple-0 that morning with concerns for his son's welfare.

By the time two paramedics and four police officers arrived, Adam had stabbed himself in the kitchen, Mr Wilkins said.

Adam's father was seen outside the house as paramedics took his son away.

One neighbour, Michael Pokorny, said Mr Salter was very upset and had blood all over his hands.

"He said his son tried to [commit] suicide," Mr Pokorny said.

"I saw them carrying [Adam] out and they were pumping his chest and [there was] blood everywhere."

Another neighbour said Adam had asked to borrow her mop less than 90 minutes before the shooting.

The woman's brother told reporters his sister said Adam looked "very normal, as usual".

Mr Pokorny said he was mowing the lawn and did not hear any gun shots.

His wife saw a lot of police cars outside Mr Salter’s house when she left to go grocery shopping.

"I ran out and then I talked to [Mr Salter]," Mr Pokorny said.

Mr Salter lived in the house alone but Adam had been staying with him for a while, he said.

Adam's mother lived in Queensland, Mr Pokorny said.

A police critical incident team and the homicide squad are investigating the shooting.

No police officers or paramedics were hurt, police said.

Last year, Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the use of stun guns could have prevented the shooting death of Roni Levi on Bondi Beach in 1997.

The 33-year-old French photographer was shot four times in the chest by two police officers after he allegedly lunged at them with a long kitchen knife.

Police were criticised in June this year following the shooting death of a 25-year-old man in Armidale.

The man had stolen a knife from a cafe and threatened a plain-clothes police officer before being chased by the officer and ending up in an alley, where the shooting occurred.