A man who was stabbing himself in the chest and had to be tasered by police in Sydney's southwest to subdue him was likely affected by drugs, a senior officer says.
Officers were called to a Canley Vale flat on Monday evening to find the man suffering wounds and a woman with minor lacerations.
Assistant Commissioner Frank Mennilli said officers used a Taser after the shirtless man, who was known to police, inserted a knife into his own chest.
"He was pushing the knife further into his chest at the time," Mr Mennilli told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.
The man allegedly ran towards police armed with a knife, and in the ensuing struggle an officer's hand was wounded.
Officers again used Tasers and capsicum spray to restrain the man, who is now in Liverpool Hospital in an induced coma.
The injured officer is at the same hospital and is in discussion with surgeons about his hand, Mr Mennilli said.
A critical incident team is reviewing the incident, he said.
Mr Mennilli said it was obvious to everyone at the scene the man "had to be on something".
"There will be tests taken which will disclose the toxicology, exactly what the person may have been on," he said.
"The individual was tasered on a number of occasions, OC-sprayed and he was extremely powerful and just could not be stopped."
Mr Mennilli said he was concerned with the rise in these types of incidents.
"We are seeing a lot more violence towards police which is something that is not only disappointing but also extremely concerning to me as a regional commander," he said.
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