Man shot dead by police in Australia's Melbourne

Melbourne, July 31 (IANS) A man has been shot dead by police after assaulting a woman at a property east of Melbourne in Australia's state of Victoria.

A police statement said on Wednesday night that officers were called to reports of the assault in the town of Yarra Junction, about 55 km east of Melbourne, at about 5:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday.

Two officers arrived and observed the man assaulting a woman. As a result of the confrontation, one of the officers fired their gun and struck the man.

Ambulance crews were called to the scene, but he could not be revived.

The woman was airlifted to the hospital to be treated for serious injuries.

According to police, the man and woman were known to each other. A crime scene has been established, and detectives from the homicide squad will investigate the incident, reports Xinhua news agency.

In a similar incident on July 24, a man was hospitalised with serious injuries after being shot during a violent home invasion in Melbourne.

Emergency services were called to reports that multiple armed offenders broke into a home in Gladstone Park, 15 kilometres northwest of central Melbourne, and assaulted two occupants around 1:25 a.m. local time on July 24.

A police statement said that it is believed the male resident confronted the group before he was shot and attacked with weapons.

The 60-year-old man sustained serious injuries consistent with a gunshot wound and was taken to the hospital.

A second resident, a 57-year-old woman, was also threatened with the firearm but was not injured.

The group of offenders subsequently fled the scene in an SUV.

As of 9 a.m. local time on July 24, no arrests had been made in relation to the incident, which police believe was a targeted attack.

Detectives from the armed crimes squad have commenced an investigation.

--IANS

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