The house where the shooting occurred at Collarenebri. Credit:Chris Monckton, Moree Champion Police said the drama started just after 6.30pm when they received calls that a man had used a knife as part of an assault. The man wanted over the alleged attack was seen driving his car just west of the Collarenebri township, police said. Police said the man failed to stop his car and, following a short pursuit, he rammed a police car, causing minor injuries to officers inside. He then ran away, police said.

The police car at Collarenebri. Credit:Chris Monckton, Moree Champion Police found the man about three hours later at a home in Barwon Street, where he allegedly threatened police with the tyre lever. Police claim officers tried to subdue the man with capsicum spray before firing a Taser. The Collarenebri victim's car. Credit:Chris Monckton, Moree Champion A senior constable tried to arrest the man, but he was struck on the head with the tyre lever, police said.

The officer was then "fearing for his safety", so he fired his gun, police said in a statement earlier. Deputy Commissioner Clarke would not reveal further details about the dead man this morning, including whether he was known to police. He said that, while two shots were fired, it is not known how many hit the victim. "On the information before me, police have dealt with a life-threatening situation," Deputy Commissioner Clarke said. "I certainly believe that officer had no other option and resorted to the only other option they had to protect their own lives."

Deputy Commissioner Clarke said additional police resources were brought into Collarenebri to support the town's three officers following the earlier knife incident, but could not say how many police were present during the shooting. He said police were lucky to have survived the earlier crash. "What I can tell you is that the incident that happened in relation to the pursuit where the vehicle was driven at police resulted in significant damage to those vehicles, both those vehicles could not be driven from the scene and will be a write-off, and I think we were very lucky that police were not more seriously injured," he said. Deputy Commissioner Clarke said police did fire a Taser at the man but it "failed to stop a very determined attack". He would not reveal any details about the earlier knife assault or whether there were people inside the home where the man was later shot .

Deputy Commissioner Clarke said there was not much more he could say at this stage. "We are at very, very early stages of a very significant investigation that needs to take place on behalf of the coroner," he said. Homicide detectives will investigate the shooting. Crash investigators will also examine the crash site. The usually quiet country town was buzzing with news of the drama this morning. A resident, who did not want to be named, said the dead man was well known around town.

The man, whose name has not been released, is known to police for various drug offences, the resident said. A NSW Ambulance spokesman said paramedics were called to the shooting, but did not take the dead man to hospital. It is understood the 44-year-old man was assaulting an Aboriginal man when police entered the home on Barwon Street last night. A NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said no other patients were treated at the scene last night. It is also believed the dead man was involved in a serious assault on a Collarenebri business owner.

The NSW Aboriginal Legal Service said yesterday's shooting was "of great concern" and called for a "complete and thorough investigation". Loading "We need to contact the family and see if they want us to represent them," a spokeswoman said. - with AAP