A man who warned “police are going to suffer when they get here” before charging at an officer with a kitchen knife says he intended to be killed in the confrontation.
Aaron Michael McCormick, 21, was shot by police outside a house at Ingle Farm, north of Adelaide, in May 2019.
The District Court heard on Thursday officers were dispatched to the home after McCormick reported a woman at the house was “almost dead”.
The officers said they were “concerned about the situation” and had been made aware of the threat against them, but believed urgent police assistance was needed.
“There is no training that could have prepared me ... for what occurred upon our arrival,” one of the men said in a victim impact statement.
The officer, whose name has been suppressed by the court, said he and his colleague arrived at the house to find a woman screaming and McCormick holding a nine-kilogram gas bottle.
“I was concerned that the gas bottle was going to explode and possibly cause serious harm or injury,” he said.
“I immediately saw a flame about 20 metres high streaming from the gas bottle, which was resting on the side of the road.”
The officer then described McCormick yelling and running directly at him with a large knife.
“I thought my life was in danger and I was scared,” he said.
The officers tried to taser McCormick twice without success and, fearing for their lives, they discharged their guns.
“Almost immediately after drawing it from the holster, he stopped and fell to the ground,” one officer said.
McCormick was hit in the chest and taken to hospital in a non-life threatening condition.
Both officers spoke about the lasting impact of the incident, with one telling the court: “I honestly felt that myself and my partner were going to die that night”.
“This incident has made me realise the risks associated with policing ... I am grateful that my colleague is safe,” he said.
Chris Weir, for McCormick, said his client was struggling with issues including drinking, binge eating, weight gain and disconnection from his family at the time of the incident.
“His intention was to create a situation whereby he would be, effectively, killed by the attending police officers,” he said.
“His emotional state had reached such a crescendo, based on a number of factors.”
Mr Weir said his client has “effectively lost his pilot’s licence” and will not be able to pursue a career as a commercial pilot.
McCormick has pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated threatening to kill or endanger life and one count of aggravated assault.
Judge Michael Boylan repeatedly described the offending as “bizarre” and remanded McCormick in custody for sentencing on a date yet to be set.
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