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The mother of the New Zealand man shot dead by police on Australia's Gold Coast says she has no animosity towards the officers involved in the shooting.
Joan Dyer, of Awanui in the Far North, last night told the Herald that she was still coming to terms with her son Alan's death after receiving a "hysterical" phone call from his 17-year-old daughter Silka.
The devastated teenager was with her father in hospital when he died.
Mr Dyer, who suffered from depression, reportedly charged at police with a knife after trying to burn down his Pacific Pines home near Broadwater on Saturday night.
His partner, named only as Chantal, told the Gold Coast Bulletin she believed Mr Dyer ran at the police officers with a knife because he wanted them to shoot him.
One of the officers fired one shot at the man, hitting him in the stomach.
He was taken to Southport Hospital but died soon after.
Mrs Dyer said she and her family were not angry over the death.
"After all, the police are only human beings as well," she said. "I'm sure they did their job as they saw it.
"I don't agree with them having guns. I sort of thought if they'd had Tasers or some pepper spray or something, then it might be different but no, I don't want any animosity towards anybody if we can help it."
Queensland Police Union president Cameron Pope said the police action was "justified and unavoidable".
"I believe the officers involved acted appropriately and in defence of their lives," he said.
Mrs Dyer said her son was a successful businessman who had struggled since his divorce from Silka's mother Jolanta six years ago.
"He used to get slightly depressed on occasions, but not terribly bad ... This has come as a great shock to us."
Queensland police's ethical standards command are investigating the shooting overseen by the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC).
Terry O'Gorman, from Queensland's Council of Civil Liberties, said the Government needed to look at the introduction of 24-hour mental health teams to accompany police to jobs involving people with mental illnesses.
It was reported to be the fifth fatal police shooting involving a mentally ill person in the southeastern Queensland police region since October 2003.
- With NZPA
