A man shot dead by a NSW police officer after running at him with two knives was not known to police, a coroner says, despite a “very unfortunate” claim to the contrary made by the force’s deputy commissioner immediately after the incident.
Steve Pampalian, 41, was shot three times by a police officer in the driveway of his home on a quiet suburban street in North Willoughby, Sydney, on May 25, 2023, after suffering a psychotic episode.
She was the second of four vulnerable people, along with Clare Nowland, Jesse Deacon and Krista Kach, who died in separate incidents in consecutive months in 2023 after interactions with police.. The cases have sparked increased scrutiny over how police respond to mental health incidents.
Deputy Commissioner Leanne McCusker told reporters at the first news conference about the incident that Pampalian was known to police. “Yes, the police know him,” he said in response to a question. “But I would probably describe it as pretty minimal.”
Sign Up: AU Breaking News Email
But on Friday, at the long-awaited inquest into Pampalian’s death, Detective Trent Power confirmed that Pampalian had no criminal record and that the comments were incorrect.
“That’s very unfortunate,” Deputy State Coroner Kasey Pearce said in response.
In the months after Pampalian’s murder, the family had asked police to retract the statement, saying it made people think he was “a criminal.” In response to questions from Guardian Australia about its application in September 2023, the force said it could not comment because the shooting was subject to an ongoing investigation.
‘Gentle giant with a calm presence’
On Thursday, the inquest heard from assistant professor and forensic psychiatry expert Danny Sullivan, who concluded Pampalian had probably descended into psychosis over the course of six months. Neither his close-knit family nor his doctor noticed anything out of the ordinary, nor had he experienced anything like this before.
Sullivan said Pampalian’s psychosis, which appeared to manifest in religious delusion, was in no way related to his anxiety disorder, for which he had taken a daily antidepressant since 2014.
On Friday, Pampalian’s brother, Eddie, described him as a “gentle giant with a quiet presence” and the “star in the eyes” of his two nieces. He knew Pampalian lived with anxiety, but he said even at its worst, it only manifested itself as panic attacks.
According to the investigation, at 10:30 a.m. on the day he was shot, Pampalian’s parents left the house. They said Pampalian seemed normal and they thought he was off work because of the flu.
The inquest heard that several neighbors called police on the day of Pampalian’s death after seeing him muttering to himself and chasing a woman down the street. A neighbor said he saw Pampalian try to enter a house on the street before entering another, which he did not know was Pampalian’s own house.
Police thought they were witnessing an active break and not a mental health incident. The inquest heard that the first responding officer, Constable Jason Bryan, who retired after the incident, shot Pampalian three times after he suddenly appeared meters away and ran towards him with two knives.
Mr Sullivan told the inquest he saw “no way in which the police would have the opportunity to engage in a discussion or could try to allay their anxieties or distress”.
“I also believe there was no information that could have helped police address that situation,” he said.
The police have made several changes.
The inquiry heard that the force has changed several of its policies since 2023.
Police officer body cameras now turn on automatically when an officer draws their gun or Taser. The action will also turn on the camera of any officer within a 10 meter radius.
Bryan did not turn on his body-worn camera before shooting Pampalian and told the inquest he did not have time to do so until after the incident.
Police have also increased the frequency of mental health training for officers, to annual in-person training.
“(The change) came about as a result (of a) series of critical incidents and coronary mental health matters,” Detective Superintendent Kirsty Hales told the inquest.
On Friday, Pearce cried as the Pampalian family’s lawyer read a statement on behalf of Eddie, who attended the inquest throughout the week.
“Many people have been affected by this tragedy, not just our family,” the statement said.
“Steve was deeply loved by his family and friends. He was known as a gentle giant with a calm presence and a warm sense of humor. Steve had a way of making people feel comfortable.”
The statement said he spoke often with one of his two nieces.
“After she passed away, one of the hardest moments was hearing her cry and say that he would never know all the new things happening in her life now.”
