Police Shot Messo While stabbing His Mother in a Park in Melbourne – The man shot dead by the police during an insane stab attack is identified as Gabriel Messo.
Confronting images of the moment when the police shot Messo while stabbing his loving mother Lilla in a park in Melbourne, across the street where he lived.
Agents rushed to John Coutts Reserve in Gladstone Park, northwest of the city at about 3:30 PM on Thursday, after multiple delirious Triple-0 calls.
Messo had only moved to Gladstone Park’s house across the reserve three weeks ago.
His housemate, Sylvester, said he feared Messo and said it was only a matter of time before he killed someone.
The terrified housemate described Mrs. Messo as a kind woman who loved her son.
Police arrived and found that Ms. Messo was brutally attacked by a knife-wielding man in what she described as an “insane attack.”
Her son refused to obey the police order not to attack the woman again, and the officers opened fire within 30 seconds of arrival.
Disturbing footage shows the man holding his mother on the floor and stabbing her repeatedly as officers arrive on the scene.
Two officers surround the attacker and draw their weapons before two gunshots are heard.
The man stands up before another shot is fired and falls backwards to the ground.
A man was shot dead by police in Gladstone Park on Thursday afternoon. Depicted are police vehicles on the spot in a quiet suburban street
The shooting took place for a local resident during his afternoon walk in the park.
Messo, in his thirties, died on the spot.
His mother was rushed to Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition that suffered from facial stitches so horrifying that she was still identified by the police.
“It was not a random attack,” said Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius last night.
“It could be family members, but that’s the subject of research.”
Assistant Commissioner Cornelius said the man was known to them, but had no criminal record.
“We have been in contact with him recently, but there was nothing in that recent contact with him that pointed out to us that today’s events could have happened,” he said.
Officers called to the scene were not physically injured, but were left “terribly shocked” by the incident.
Katrina Drive in Gladstone Park remains dropped off Thursday night as police investigate
“No member goes to work expecting to have to take someone else’s life, and that is a very difficult and fortunate decision that doesn’t happen too often,” said Deputy Commissioner Cornelius.
“But if a policeman makes that decision, it will, of course, have a terrible impact on that member and of course generate great concern for the wider community.”
Assistant Commissioner Cornelius has supported the officers’ actions to open fire.
“I understand that those members acted correctly. They have been decisive, they have taken action and they have acted in a way to keep the community safe and prevent an insane attack from continuing, ” he said.
“And my heart really goes out to those members. These were young members early in their careers, and they had to make one of the worst possible decisions every member has to make in his career. ‘
Aerial photos taken by Nine News show two people being treated on-site by paramedics.
Dozens of police and paramedics remain on the spot on a quiet street in the suburbs on Thursday evening.
Messo’s body remained on the grass in the reserve, a few yards from houses.
John Coutts Reserve is a popular park with a loose dog area.
“I’ve never seen anything like it, it looked like a war zone,” said witness Blake de Herald Sun..
“It was so hard. There were so many sirens. ‘
Homicide Squad officers are investigating the incident that led to the death of a man
Tina Gatt added, “It’s usually pretty quiet here. When I saw the police I thought ‘I hope they are not drugs or bicycles’, but this is terrible. This has fallen out of the blue for this to happen. ‘
Other residents told the ABC they heard arguments and shouts from the park before they heard four gunshots.