A man who was shot dead by police in Adelaide's west four years ago made several calls to mental health services asking for help to stop self-harming.
Kobee Michael David Huddy, 20, died of a gunshot wound to the chest in May 2019.
An inquest into his death has heard that before he was shot, Mr Huddy had called Lifeline and police, saying he wanted to "shoot the cops" and that he had a gun.
Deputy State Coroner Ian White heard the 20-year-old had been struggling with his mental health and had made several calls for help to mental health services and an Anglicare counsellor.
Counsel assisting the Coroner Peter Longson said Mr Huddy had lost his job and had been drinking excessively the night before his death, and that he had had a series of self-harming episodes before the incident.
Mr Longson said that a few hours before he died, he had called the Mental Health Triage line.
"The nurse on the call at times appears to be blunt with Kobee and uninterested in his request for help," Mr Longson said.
The court heard Mr Huddy asked the nurse how he could stop self-harming to which she replied, "I don't know".
"When Kobee asks for some help over the phone, instead of the offer to call him an ambulance, the nurse replies: 'Like what?'" Mr Longson said.
The phone call recording was played in court.
The court then heard a recording of the nurse calling the SA Ambulance service expressing frustrations that Mr Huddy was "talking in riddles" and questioned whether his account "was true or not".
The court then heard a recording that Mr Huddy made to police shortly after where his attitude had entirely changed saying he wanted to "shoot the cops".
The court heard police officers had convened at a location close to Mr Huddy's girlfriend's Seaton house where he was staying when he made the calls threatening police.
One officer, Sergeant Darren Mead, who has passed away recently, was asked to do a "drive-by" of the house.
Soon after, the officer encountered Mr Huddy who was wielding a knife at him.
Mr Longson said police radio transmission recordings showed the officer yelling, "He's got a knife, I need help guys".
"Sergeant Mead can be heard yelling, 'Put it down, put it down'," Mr Longson said.
"[He] continued to walk backwards, knowing other police were on their way – he was waiting for other police to arrive with a taser.
"[He] saw at the corner of his eye the patrol turn up, but at the time, Kobee appeared to take two or three quick steps.
"Sergeant Mead said he felt in imminent danger and discharged a single shot."
A lawyer for Mr Huddy's family told the court the family holds no animosity towards the police, and understood that officers deserved to go safely home to their families each night.
"But they've since wondered countless times whether it was really necessary to shoot Kobee," he said.
The court heard the family had many questions relating to Mr Huddy's interactions with mental health services, and why Sergeant Mead fired when he did, rather than waiting a "few extra minutes for police with tasers to arrive".
The inquest continues.
