Two police officers who shot dead a man who allegedly lunged at them with a knife near a shopping plaza were not carrying Tasers.
Hundreds of people rallied on Tuesday at Footscray in Melbourne, where 35-year-old Somali man Abdifatah Ahmed died five days earlier, calling for justice, an independent probe and greater mental health support.
"The community was in deep shock. We came together to raise our voice," Somali Community Inc. president Farah Warsame said.
"We are still wondering why the police didn't use any other means like capsicum spray or a Taser to de-escalate the situation.
"Why didn't they look for some other way? It is human life at the end of the day.
"We are not condemning every Victorian police (officer), we are only calling for the officers involved to be held accountable."
Victoria Police has launched an investigation by the homicide squad with oversight from its professional standards command.
The coroner will also investigate the incident.
On Tuesday, police confirmed the officers were not carrying Tasers.
"Unfortunately, police were confronted with an extremely volatile and high-risk situation and made a tactical decision to use their firearms in a small matter of moments," a spokesperson said.
"We strongly reject any claims that this matter was racially motivated.
"These decisions are made in line with rigorous training police receive around dealing with armed offenders, with the safety of the community and our officers the number one priority.
"This was an incident that could have impacted the safety of a large number of people who were in the area on the night."
A rollout of Tasers to all Victorian frontline police is on track to be completed by September 2026 and is currently 60 per cent complete.
The rollout was moving as "fast as it possibly can", the police spokesperson said, noting that even with Tasers, officers had to assess which options to use.
The two officers involved are on leave, as per standard protocol.
Mr Warsame never met Mr Ahmed but said attempts had been made to support him.
"He was a very shy guy, I was told," Mr Warsame said.
"I tried to … find him and see what sort of help we could do for him but unfortunately we didn't see him."
Mr Warsame offered his condolences to Mr Ahmed's family and friends, as did the local Maribyrnong City Council.
The council said it supported calls for an independent investigation and was committed to working with community leaders to find long-term mental health solutions.
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