Vic: Police dawn raids should be last resort: coroner

AAP General News (Australia)
04-23-2010
Vic: Police dawn raids should be last resort: coroner

By Melissa Iaria

MELBOURNE, April 23 AAP - A Victorian coroner says dawn police raids should only be
used as a last resort, following the fatal police shooting of a sword-wielding man at
his home in 2005.

Mohamed Chaouk, 30, was shot dead by a Victoria Police Special Operations Group officer
during a dawn raid on his house in Brooklyn, in Melbourne's west, on April 5, 2005.

An officer, who can only be described as Operative 52, shot Mr Chaouk in the chest
and abdomen after he allegedly struck the officer's wrist with a blunt samurai sword.

In her finding on Friday, Coroner Paresa Spanos said she was satisfied the decision
to go ahead with the dawn raid was not made lightly.

But while the decision was sound and made in line with police protocol, Coroner Spanos
acknowledged the risk such raids posed to innocent people and said they should only be
used as a last resort.

The Chaouk house was stormed by police after a six-month investigation into alleged
criminal activity by the family and their associates.

The inquest was told police had intelligence that some members were known to allegedly
carry guns.

In the month before the fatal shooting, police had enough evidence to lay charges for
offences including attempted murder, serious assaults and firearm crimes against certain
family members.

The raid came as police believed there was a "real danger" to safety of certain individuals
if the members continued their alleged activities unhindered.

Coroner Spanos said it would be "highly improbable" Mr Chaouk did not realise the SOG
operatives were police.

Despite being struck with the sword, the officer was not injured.

But Coroner Spanos said while the sword was decorative and blunt, it was still a weapon
and Operative 52 and a second operative had feared for their own and each other's safety.

Members of the Chaouk family, who were dressed in black, sobbed during the hearing.

The family, which did not comment outside court, plans to sue the state government
and police officers involved in the raids for damages.

The case is in its early stages and is scheduled to go before the Victorian Supreme
Court next month.

AAP mi/pmu/ht/apm

KEYWORD: CHAOUK WRAP

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