NSW police will hold an investigation into the shooting death of a 34-year-old man inside a packed shopping centre in Sydney's west on Sunday.
The man, a suspect in an armed robbery and a carjacking, was shot and fatally wounded after a brief struggle with a policeman in a private service corridor at Parramatta's Westfield mall yesterday afternoon.
Senior police say it appears the victim didn't have a gun when he was shot, but it's not immediately clear if he had any other weapon.
Homicide squad detectives will now examine why the man was not subdued with a Taser or capsicum spray.
An experienced male officer shot and fatally wounded the 34-year-old in a service corridor at Parramatta's Westfield mall just before 4pm (AEDT) on Sunday.
The corridor is in a private area, near a food court and a JB Hi-Fi shop, on level five of the shopping centre.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Denis Clifford said the man was being pursued after a robbery at knife-point in Penrith on Sunday afternoon.
Police cars began chasing a suspect from that robbery along Sydney's M4 motorway before the police helicopter, PolAir, took over the pursuit.
The suspect's car crashed a short time later while still on the
M4.
"It is alleged the driver of that vehicle was then involved in a violent carjacking of a second vehicle, which then sped away and was continually followed by PolAir," Mr Clifford said.
The driver was followed by a police officer into the Westfield shopping centre and into the level five service corridor.
"It appears that there was a violent struggle, a confrontation there," Mr Clifford said.
"And during that struggle the officer discharged his weapon, fatally wounding the 34-year-old."
A critical incident investigation will examine the circumstances leading to the shooting and look at why a Taser stun gun was not used to subdue the man.
JB Hi-Fi employee Nikita King told AAP she heard about five gunshots.
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