Two Newcastle police officers who were injured in a violent and deadly confrontation at Wickham have been discharged from hospital to recover at home.
The officers were following a lead in a theft investigation early on Friday, April 7, that brought them to a property on Bishopsgate Street at Wickham just before 8am.
As they arrived, they were confronted by a 38-year-old Toronto man armed with a knife who stabbed a male constable in the back and left another female constable with lacerations to her hands. Police opened fire on the man, who died at the scene despite efforts to save him.
Both officers were rushed to John Hunter Hospital, initially said to be in a serious but stable condition, where they remained overnight. On Monday, a spokeswoman for NSW Police said both officers had been discharged on Saturday.
NSW Police Northern Region commander Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna told reporters outside Newcastle Police Station on Friday that the incident had been distressing.
"Policing is a dangerous job at times, there's no doubt about that. These two officers are very, very lucky to be sitting up alive and breathing after what was a very confronting and very dangerous situation.
"Police don't come to work looking to find themselves in these sorts of situations."
A Critical Incident Investigation has been launched to look at the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting.
The inquiry will be run by the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad - the results of which will be independently reviewed.
