A 14-year-old driver and an 18-year-old passenger were shot by police after driving a car onto a crowded footpath in Sydney's red light district to escape pursuing officers who had recognised the vehicle and its young male occupants.
The shooting happened just after 4am (AEST) on Saturday on Darlinghurst Rd at Potts Point, near the intersection with Bayswater Rd.
Police say a stolen Honda Civic sedan was driven onto the crowded footpath and struck a female pedestrian, pinning her under the car.
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"People literally jumped for their lives," Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch told reporters in Sydney on Saturday morning.
"Police pursued that vehicle on the footpath by foot, they attempted to stop the vehicle.
"That vehicle struck a female pedestrian. That female pedestrian was pushed under the front of the vehicle.
"In an attempt to protect that person they discharged a number of shots into the vehicle.
"Whether that decision turned out to be the right decision is a matter for the critical investigation team ... My advice is that the police has little other option."
The 14-year-old driver was hit once in the chest and once in the arm and the 18-year-old passenger was shot once in the neck.
The men were not armed at the time.
Assistant Commissioner Murdoch said the two constables recognised the Redfern youths driving the car.
"The police recognised the vehicle, they recognised the people in the car," he said.
"I would suggest given the driver of the vehicle was 14, that's probably a good reason why they approached the car.
"As they approached the car, it is my information that the people in the car saw the police approaching, they've taken action to avoid apprehension."
Four other males, aged between 13 to 24, were in the back seat of the car at the time.
They were unharmed and are currently at Kings Cross Police Station being interviewed by officers.
Assistant Commissioner Murdoch said all of the injured were being treated at St Vincent's Hospital.
The driver is in a serious but stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery while the passenger has non-life threatening injuries.
The 29-year-old woman who was run over by the car has chest injuries and is being treated.
Assistant Commissioner Murdoch said officers will be in touch with the Redfern community to fill them in on what happened.
"The local area command at Redfern is on the ground in Redfern now and in touch with the community," he said.
"I would hope (the community) understands that we need to investigate exactly what happened and why it happened.
"They would also understand, given the relationship that police have with the Redfern community, is that as soon as we know something, they'll know.
"And they get the right information rather than speculate."
Assistant Commissioner Murdoch said more officers would be deployed in Redfern on Saturday night if the need arose.
"If we feel there is a need for more police to be put into the community there, that will happen."
He said the shooting was a tragedy.
"(It's) an absolute tragedy for all involved," he said.
"No one likes to see this sort of thing happening, particularly in such a public area.
"The police don't go to work expecting to shoot someone."
Despite numerous police shootings and drive-bys in Sydney recently, Assistant Commissioner Murdoch said the busy entertainment precinct in Kings Cross was still safe.
"Those issues aside Kings Cross is as safe as it's ever been."
On April 9, a man shot in the shoulder at Kings Cross night club, Bada Bing.
On Friday, the NSW government banned Bikie gangs owning tattoo parlours and wearing their colours in licensed Kings Cross venues after two drive-by shootings hours earlier.
Police believed the attacks are part an ongoing dispute between rival gangs, the Hells Angels and Nomads.
A total of 52 shootings have rocked Sydney in 2012 with most attributed to criminal organisations and gangs.
Police officers have also been involved in the gun violence.
Ryan Pringle, who armed with a knife and a crossbow, was tasered by police before they shot him dead at a commune in northern NSW on Monday.
On March 25, a senior police officer shot and killed 34-year-old man Darren Neill at the Westfield Shopping Centre at Parramatta.
