A suspected child sex offender has stabbed himself to death in front of police as they raided his home in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.
NSW Police said the incident occurred when officers from the State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Squad and Public Order and Riot Squad executed a search warrant at a home on Grose Street in the wealthy tourist town of Leura at about 7am on Tuesday.
“A short time after officers made entry, a 41-year-old man was located inside a bedroom with a knife,” police said in a statement.
“As officers entered the room, the man stabbed himself.
“Police immediately rendered first aid and sought assistance from NSW Ambulance paramedics; however, the man died at the scene.”
The man was under investigation for possessing child abuse material, The Daily Telegraph reported.
A critical incident investigation is now underway, and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
A team from Mt Druitt Police Area Command will lead the independent investigation team examining the circumstances surrounding the incident, and the investigation will be the subject of an independent review by the Professional Standards Command and overseen by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.
Header image: Grose Street, Leura (Google Street View).
