Former Victoria Police officer Timothy Baker has been found not guilty of murdering a man during a routine traffic stop in Melbourne's south-east four years ago.

Mr Baker, 46, was charged after shooting Vlado Micetic dead, having pulling him over for driving with stolen number plates on August 25, 2013.

The court heard Mr Baker, who was a leading senior constable at the time, was on patrol alone when he came across Mr Micetic in Windsor in Melbourne's inner south-east.

He then shot the 44-year-old three times from point-blank range, the jury was told.

Mr Baker denied he had committed murder, telling the court Mr Micetic had pulled a knife on him and he had acted in self-defence..

He did not comment as he walked from the court with his parents.

Members of Mr Micetic's family cried after the verdict was handed down.

The court had earlier heard Mr Micetic was a troubled man with a psychiatric illness and numerous convictions, including for violence against police.

Vision from a camera on the dashboard of the unmarked police car was played to the jury, and showed Mr Micetic trying to resist arrest.

But prosecutors argued he was not being violent or aggressive.

They accused Mr Baker of moving Mr Micetic out of the way of the camera before shooting him.

The camera did not capture the moment he was shot.

Mr Baker was initially suspended from Victoria Police while the case went through the courts, which is standard protocol, and he later resigned from the force.