Body camera not turned on before police officer shot man, inquest told

“As soon as I locked eyes on him, as I’m making that assessment I say, ‘armed police stand still, drop those knives, drop those knives’,” he told the hearing.

The officer continued by saying he was roughly four or five metres away and Mr Yahya “made no reaction at all other than looking at me, looking at my weapon, then looking left and right”.

He then told the court Mr Yahya “made a sudden, very sudden” movement, “running essentially, towards me”.

“At the time I thought I was going to get stabbed, as he started running his hand came up,” he said.

“I’d been a police officer 10 and a half years and know from training and other incidents – that distance; that [a] subject can close that gap in less than a second, so at that point I thought my life was in danger.

“I thought I was going to get stabbed, so I fired one shot.”

The officer said he aimed for the “central mass”, Mr Yahya fell and he then heard the “crackle” of a Taser.

The time between stepping out of the vehicle and taking action was about three to four seconds, he added.

The officer said other police officers approached Mr Yahya while he “retained cover” until his colleagues made the call “subject secure”, and he assisted with first aid afterwards.

Ifeanyi Odogwu, representing Mr Yahya’s family, put to the officer that he did not activate his body-worn footage, which he said was correct.

The officer said: “It’s not only inappropriate, it’s an error for which I have been formally disciplined.”

But the officer did not agree his actions were “completely, totally disproportionate”.

The inquest continues.