Pingelly police shooting: Commissioner Col Blanch says officer made ‘strong tactical’ decision as CCTV emerges

Police Commissioner Col Blanch has thrown his full support behind a police officer who shot an armed man in Pingelly after confronting security vision emerged showing the incident unfolding. Coen Rogers, 28, was acting aggressively and erratically before he was shot in the torso by a local policeman when he charged toward him with a knife in each hand. Rogers’ family had called the police several times and had raised the alarm that he had a knife before the officer made the decision to respond to the emergency alone because his colleague was sick. The officer tried to fire a Taser, but that failed, before he fired a single shot. CCTV which has since emerged shows the officer approaching Rogers’ mother, who tells him: “He was drinking and I told him to keep the noise down. Then he went off ... he started grabbing knives and saying lots of stuff like he’d cut my throat and everything.” In the footage, the officer can be heard saying “Coen, it’s OK mate”. Rogers responds, “Police, for f...s sake, I’m having a crisis”. After Rogers heads towards the officer, the officer warns him he has a Taser before a single shot is fired. The officer is then heard saying: “What have I done?” before he calls for help. “Ambulance, he’s bleeding, I shot, I shot someone,” he said. Rogers was flown to Royal Perth Hospital where he is in a stable condition. Speaking to The West Live on Wednesday, Police Commissioner Col Blanch said he had seen the officer’s body-worn camera footage and said he supported his actions. “He was in a very difficult circumstance, he made strong tactical decisions,” he said. “No police officer wants to go on duty and have this as an outcome, but he was in a position where he had to make quick decisions and I think he made the right decision on this occasion.” The incident is now under investigation by WA Police’s internal affairs unit with oversight by the Corruption and Crime Commission. Mr Blanch said the officer had been given 72 hours of critical rest leave where he would be offered support. “We offer as much support as we can and it’s really up to that officer as well, but we make sure that they have time to reflect on the circumstances,” he said. “He will go through a range of emotions, but the most important thing is to get him around loved ones, family and friends and to get prepare them to come back to work. “I think getting back to work is really helpful because you’re around your colleagues and you get back to a bit of a normal life knowing that he will have a bit of a journey going through and processing (the incident).” The incident has sparked questions about whether regional police stations were adequately staffed. Mr Blanch said the Wheatbelt and Great Southern regions were “very unique” policing patches, saying there were often only two officers in each small town. He said Brookton was 15 minutes “up the road” but he said that could mean 30 minutes for backup to arrive. “Now this officer made the decision, and I support his decision, to go out alone. It is allowable under policy,” he said. “As the Premier (Mark McGowan) said, the other officer did call in sick, which is unfortunate timing, but certainly he had the authority to make that decision based on the urgency of his required attendance. “I’m going to support him absolutely in his decision-making here, he did go alone, it does increase the risk, backup was coming from other places but that is the nature of a town of Pingelly of 700-odd people. “I think it would be wrong for us to have multiple officers sitting most of the year doing nothing, but we’ve always got to weigh up the benefits of resourcing around towns and districts like the Wheatbelt and the Great Southern — it’s an important consideration and an ongoing consideration.” Rogers’ cousin Kellee Gillespie said Rogers was not normally violent but had snapped after his nanna had suffered a stroke. She said the family believed police did the right thing. “The police and the town are just so understanding and we all get along,” she told 9News. Pingelly rallied together in the wake of the incident, with Great Southern Police District officers meeting with Aboriginal elders and community leaders, as well as the Shire of Pingelly and school representatives on Monday. Great Southern Acting Superintendent Glenn Spencer said attendees at the meeting spoke about the “circumstances leading up to the shooting” and what ongoing support could be provided to the community in the future. Speaking on Tuesday, Acting Supt Spencer said the meeting on Monday was “very positive” and “everyone left informed and confident”. “What was particularly pleasing was the Aboriginal community offering their support for the officer involved and him returning to the community, and also for the person involved in the shooting,” he said. “It is also about ensuring he (the man who was shot) gets the appropriate help he needs going forward.” Acting Supt Spencer said Aboriginal affairs division police would remain in Pingelly for the rest of the week and an Aboriginal advisory group would also be formed in Pingelly. “What is important for police is to not provide support for the town for only a week,” he said. “We want to make these ongoing programs, make it sustainable for a long period of time. “We answered their questions, we walked them through the events, and I’m pleased to say that the community was very supportive of us.”