Police stand outside a house that was involved in pre-dawn raids in the western Sydney suburb
Police stand outside a house that was involved in pre-dawn raids in the western Sydney suburb of Guilford September 18, 2014. More than 800 police were involved in the pre-dawn raids, described as the largest in Australian history, with at least 15 people detained. Australian police will allege that members of a group targeted in the sweeping counter-terrorism operation on Thursday planned to behead a random member of the public after draping the victim in the flag of Islamic State militants, Australia media reported. Without referring to specifics, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Australia was at "serious risk from a terrorist attack". Reuters

Police shot a Sydney man during a confrontation. The man's condition became critical.

The 45-year-old man was reportedly involved in a dispute with his parents who called police. When officers were heading toward their resident at Parkland Avenue in Macquarie Fields, they came across the man who was driving a car. The officers chased the man to his mother's residence at Hispano Place at Ingleburn. The man, armed with a baseball bat, was apparently quite hostile with the officers. According to Superintendent Sean Gersbach, officers tried to avoid firing by applying other methods. However, every other effort went in vain, ABC News reported.

The officers tried using "verbal commands" as they tried to negotiate with the man so that he put down the weapon, Gersbach said. The man continued to be aggressive toward the officers who had to opt for the final "tactical option available." "I believe there were a number of shots fired but the information to hand at the moment is that he was only struck once, but again that will come out as the investigation unfolds," he said.

The man was taken to Liverpool Hospital after he had been treated at the scene. His condition is presently critical. According to Gersbach, a "very senior experienced police officer" was involved in the shooting. The officer Gersbach referred to had around 20 years of service. There was another junior officer with him when the shooting took place. Neither of the officers was physically hurt. Gersbach called it a "tragic set of circumstances" for everyone involved in the case. He said that the man should recover himself so that officers would get the chance to have a conversation with him. The officers involved in the case, though not wounded physically, were taken care of well.

The officers apparently tried shooting the man with a Taser stun gun but they could not control him. 9News reported that the officers fired several gunshots, one of which hit the man either on his chest or on his upper shoulder. He had to undergo emergency surgery. However, he is still in critical condition.

The circumstances of the incident are going to be investigated by the Bankstown Local Area Command. The New South Wales Professional Standards Command will oversee the investigation.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au