SLAIN police officer Bill Crews came from a service-minded family, loved his sport and was just days away from being best man at a mate's wedding.

The 26-year-old died in hospital hours after being shot in the head during a drug raid at Bankstown, in Sydney's southwest, last night.

Constable Crews was taking part in a search warrant relating to the sale of prohibited drugs when a number of shots were fired from an apartment block in Cairds Ave, Bankstown, just after 9pm.

Constable Crews received gunshot wounds to the head and neck and suffered cardiac arrest at the scene, before being rushed to Liverpool Hospital in a critical condition, where he later died.

The detective in training, who comes from a family of cops, graduated from police college at Goulburn in 2007.

He spent three years performing general duties at Campsie police station before moving to the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad earlier in 2010.



It was as part of this squad that he lost his life, said his friend and colleague Scott Weber, the president of the Police Association, who today described Constable Crews as a top officer, "a brother and a good mate".



Constable Crews' father Kelvin was a police officer at Glen Innes in northern New South Wales until he retired in 2000 while his brother Ben is also an officer in Sydney.



He has two sisters, Rebecca and Kate, and mother Sharon.



A 'genuinely nice guy'



The father of one of Constable Crews' best mates told the Glen Innes Examiner he was a "genuinely nice guy from a great family".

Barry Newberry said his son Scott and Constable Crews spent last weekend at a buck's party and they were looking forward to the wedding on Saturday.



"My son actually sent him a text just before he went out on the drug bust," Mr Newberry said.



He said Constable Crews loved rugby league and was involved in all sports as a student at Glen Innes High School.



NSW Police commissioner Andrew Scipione said the young officer put his "own safety and welfare on the line every day to make NSW communities safer places".



Parliament in mourning

Politicians in the NSW lower house rose for a moment's silence this afternoon, after emotional speeches from Premier Kristina Keneally and Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell.



Ms Keneally said Constable Crews had paid the "ultimate price" while carrying out his job.



"I express my deepest sorrow to Constable Crews' family, to his parents, and to his siblings - they've lost a brother, and a son, and a much-loved member of their family," Ms Keneally told parliament.



"They've lost him in the most unimaginable way and, we today as a state, stand behind them in support.



"I also express on behalf of the government my sympathy and my condolences to Constable Crews' other family - the NSW Police Force.



"They have today lost a workmate, a colleague, they've lost themselves a member of their family."



Two charged

The comments come as Geehad Ghazi, 27, from Chester Hill, appeared at Bankstown Local Court today charged with possession of an unauthorised firearm. He made no application for bail, which was formally refused.