The first officer to intercept a mentally ill knife-wielding woman shot dead near a Sydney fast-food restaurant thought she was on drunk or on drugs.

March 23, 2018

The first officer on the scene before a knife-wielding woman was shot dead by police near a Sydney fast-food restaurant misunderstood radio calls warning of mental health issues, an inquest has heard.

Probationary Constable Angela Tyson told Glebe Coroners Court on Friday that her focus was on the knife as she and her partner sped with car lights and siren blaring towards the southwest suburb of Carnes Hill.

She said her interpretation of police radio and data messages was that the young woman was “drug-affected or intoxicated”.

The inquest is investigating the death of Courtney Topic who was shot by an officer near the West Hoxton Hungry Jack’s car park in February 2015.

The court heard Ms Topic had probably been experiencing a psychotic episode for an extended period and likely suffered undiagnosed schizophrenia.

Officers tried to subdue the 22-year-old with pepper spray and a Taser before she was shot in the chest.

Prob Const Tyson said on Friday that although she’d “probably” heard and read most of the multiple police messages about Courtney Topic she remained focused on the knife.

Police radio calls from the day reveal responding officers were told the “distressed” woman was “talking to herself” and pointing a large carving knife at her stomach.

Officers also heard the young woman in a striped top and jeans was “waving” the knife about and “hitting herself in the head”.

The mobile data terminal in Prob Const Tyson’s police car also displayed mental health warning codes beside the incident details.

Prob Const Tyson, who had been on the job for just four-and-a-half months, said she had not received mental health intervention training. She was unaware of the four-day police training course or that she was working with trained officers.

Despite this, she said a regular part of her job was dealing with people with mental health issues.