Australian Police Shoot Dead Schizophrenic Man Todd McKenzie Inquest Ongoing.

[Greg Carr]

Dad regrets not advising cops before son's death
Australian Associated Press
Thu, 30 March 2023 at 9:04 pm GMT-7·3-min read

The father of a mentally ill man fatally shot in a police siege says if he knew officers were going to storm the property he could have told them "that would be the death of my son".

Todd McKenzie, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, was fatally shot after a nine-hour siege on the NSW mid-north coast in 2019 when police were called to a property over concerns for his welfare.

Almost four years later, an inquest is hoping to uncover how the welfare check turned into a stand-off and ended with police killing a mentally ill man in his own home.

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Without speaking to his barrister, Mr McKenzie's father Mark got up in front of the Taree courtroom at the end of the hearing day and said he wished he could have advised the police.

"It's incorrect to assume the family member wants only to support their son or daughter. I was keen to assist the police," he said on Friday.

"The advice I would have given to the police was that if there was going to be a (specific police operation), that would be the death of my son."

AAP cannot name the specific tactic used because the inquest is subject to extensive non-publication orders designed to protect closely guarded information about highly trained, specialist officers and their operations.

The court heard the 40-year-old suffered from a mental health episode on the afternoon of July 31, 2019.

Worried about people entering his home, he armed himself with a knife and walked past nearby houses before neighbours called the police to conduct a welfare check.

Law enforcement undertook hours of negotiation, during which a general duties officer mocked Mr McKenzie before a team of specialists stepped in but failed to make any progress.

Negotiators had called Mr McKenzie's parents to let them know about the situation but they were kept away from the scene.

The negotiation commander, who cannot be named, said high-risk situations could become more dangerous if family members got involved.

"Anyone who finds a family member in crisis wants to be of assistance ... it's very hard to acknowledge the negative things sometimes," she said.

"I've never had a matter where a third party resolved a situation, but I have had situations where they've ended in a fatality."

Mark McKenzie tried to call his son but his calls kept dropping out due to patchy reception. Meanwhile, his mother June Wilkins had provided advice to negotiators though it is unclear whether it was considered during the siege.

Police tried to progress negotiations by entering the Taree home at 9.30pm.

Mark McKenzie said 20 years of managing his son's schizophrenia taught him that Todd would not stand down.

Police alleged Todd McKenzie lunged at them with a knife after they attempted to subdue him with a stun gun. Officers shot him three times and he died at Manning Base Hospital.

The negotiation commander said the police decision to enter the home was still appropriate, regardless of whether they had taken in advice from Mr McKenzie's parents.

"We were trying to achieve a resolution and sometimes that means pursuing a strategy that people don't always think of."

The court previously heard members of the negotiation team did not perceive Mr McKenzie as a threat.

The inquest will continue on Monday.

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https://au.news.yahoo.com/inquest-told-mans-delusion-cops-040414815.html