A Victorian police officer says he thought he would be killed when he fired upon a murder suspect.
The officer, who can only be identified as Operator 41, was one of four officers who fatally shot Wayne Joannou in a car at South Melbourne in February 2005.
The officers from the Special Operations Group say they were trying to arrest the 26-year-old Sydenham man over the murder of Brian Bottomley.
Operator 41 told an inquest into Joannou's death that he saw a black and silver shotgun being pointed directly at him as he approached the car.
"I actually feared for my life," he told the Victorian Coroners Court on Tuesday.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"He pointed that gun directly at me and I thought I was going to die."
The officer said he started firing his semi-automatic rifle at Joannou, stopping when one of the windows shattered because he could no longer see.
He later estimated that he had fired nine rounds, but said he wasn't counting at the time.
Operator 41 said Joannou was suffering severe facial and head injuries when he was removed from the car.
A second officer, known as Operator 34, said he fired a single shot when he saw a flash coming from the rear of the car.
"I took that flash to be that the person was firing at our members," he said.
The inquest has previously been told that Joannou did not fire a shot.
Operator 41 said police had received information before the attempted arrest that Joannou was paranoid, had shotgun ammunition and "wasn't going quietly".
Both officers gave their evidence from behind large black screens to protect their identities.
Earlier this year the four police involved in the shooting unsuccessfully applied to have Coroner Jane Hendtlass removed from the inquest.
Mr Bottomley, of Sydenham, disappeared in January 2005.
Although his remains have never been found, police say he was shot in Melbourne and later dismembered with a power saw.
