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ABC News
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National

Investigation into death of Sean Ferris at Crystal Brook finds officers acted in self-defence

Sean Ferris stabbed Ian Todd and Jordan Allely with a knife at his Crystal Brook home. (Supplied)

A police investigation has found the two officers involved in a fatal shooting in South Australia's Mid North earlier this month were acting in self-defence.

SA Police officers Brevet Sergeant Ian Todd and Brevet Sergeant Jordan Allely visited Sean Ferris's Crystal Brook home on May 3, to follow up reports of a disturbance at the local shop, when Mr Ferris confronted them with a knife and stabbed them.

Sergeant Todd suffered "life-threatening, critical injuries" after he was stabbed in the neck, arm and hands, while his colleague Sergeant Allely suffered stab wounds to his right leg and arm.

"Today the Commissioner of Police, Grant Stevens was advised that the death of Sean Ferris of Crystal Brook has been determined to have been in self-defence," a police statement said.

"Therefore, there will be no criminal charges laid for the two South Australia Police officers involved."

A full investigation into the events at Crystal Brook will continue as a coronial inquest, which is required by law.

South Australia's Police Minister Joe Szakacs said the initial findings of the investigation will come as a relief for the two officers involved.

"This was a tragic set of circumstances where police responded in a manner that was entirely appropriate," Mr Szakacs said.

"Of course the scars both physically and mentally remain with these police who were injured by doing nothing more than going to work and protecting our community."

One of Mr Ferris's neighbours told the ABC at the time of the incident that the man was known to have mental health issues and collected weaponry, which he kept in the first room of his home.

He said Mr Ferris had been feeling "harassed" as a number of complaints that had been made about his dog Buddy barking out the front of the local supermarket.

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