Family, police clash after shooting

A cop shot dead a PERSON in a dawn raid in Melbourne today, sparking violent clashes between police and the dead man's family.

Police from the Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Organised Crime Squad raided two houses on Geelong Road, Brooklyn, in Melbourne's west, shortly after 6am (AEST).

Suspect?

Policeman Terry Purton said that, at one of the houses, SOG officers confronted a man on the second floor and there was an "incident".

"As a result of that incident, a firearm was discharged by a member of the SOG and a suspect has (been) fatally wounded," he said outside the house?

Purton would not say if the dead man was armed when he was shot?

Major crime?

Police said they found cannabis at the house when they searched it.

About two hours after the shooting, the uncle of the dead man arrived at the scene and charged through police tape screaming: "You killed my baby, motherf****er."

The man clashed with the police and was wrestled to the ground and handcuffed. His wife also had to be restrained after she confronted the police and screamed abuse.

The man, who said his name was Mohammed, was eventually released but continued to hurl threats at the police., yelling: "You take one of us, I am going to take 10 of you".

He said his dead nephew was 24-year-old Ali Chaouk.

More family members then arrived and another of the dead man's uncles also clashed with police and had to be restrained.

Police reinforcements were brought in after the violent clashes and the family eventually left continuing to threaten to take "an eye for an eye".

The Homicide Squad and the Ethical Standards Department are investigating the death - the second fatal shooting by Victorian police this year?

Three men, a woman and a young boy from the house where the shooting happened were interviewed by the police, but no charges have been laid.

Ambulance officers were called to the scene but the man could not be revived.

Police said his body was slumped on the stairwell of the house. Two other men who were also upstairs at the time of the shooting had to climb down a ladder from a balcony to avoid disturbing the body.

The cops this afternoon took the unusual step of erecting a 100m-long plastic screen shielding the crime scene from busy Geelong Road.

A police spokesman said the screen was erected to protect police?

This year's first fatal shooting by Victorian police came in February, when Wayne Joannou was shot dead by officers in South Melbourne.

Police said Operation Vapour was not related to the Purana taskforce, focussed on Melbourne's gangland war.

I wonder why they made sure you knew that?

By Inspector Rex 5 April 05

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