Judge Kenneth Johnston KC said they acted in genuine fear for the safety of the woman, the child and themselves.<\/p>\n
A man who saw what happened, and who wished not to named, said he was at home that day when he heard a child and could not tell whether they were crying or laughing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I heard a male voice in a different tone, and it … didn\u2019t sit well with me, and I thought, that doesn\u2019t sound right.\u201d<\/p>\n
When he went outside and saw the man had a weapon, he called the police.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was clear that he was violent and not rational,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was basically waving that around belligerently, kind of seemingly at nothing, but also in a threatening manner … deliberately hacking away at the bus stop whilst the woman and child were inside that bus shelter, I guess trying to stay as far away from him as they possibly could.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once the man was tasered, he hit the ground hard, the witness said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI distinctly remember the sound of him hitting the road, [I\u2019ll] never forget that.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was basically just a large slap.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was impressed with officers\u2019 actions, saying it was, at maximum, one minute between their arrival and disarming the man.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought their response was fantastic … they\u2019re doing what they\u2019re there to do, which is to protect the community, and they did it swiftly.\u201d<\/p>\n
If they had not, the situation could have been a lot worse, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an appropriate response, given that there was … at least the way it appeared to me, a life-threatening situation.\u201d<\/p>\n