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A complaint about a barking dog was the "minor disturbance" that led two South Australian police officers to the home of a man who stabbed them in a 'horrific" attack and was shot dead.
Brevet Sergeant Ian Todd, 53, and Brevet Sergeant Jordan Allely, 32, were seriously injured after visiting the home of Sean Ferris on Symons Street in Crystal Brook, about 200km north of Adelaide, yesterday morning.
Todd was stabbed in the neck, arm and hand and Allely suffered stab wounds to his right leg and arm.
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One of them managed to open fire and shoot Ferris who died at the scene.
It is now clear multiple complaints about Ferris' barking dog were the catalyst for the incident.
Police were visiting Ferris' home after a confrontation with Pauline Flavel who knew Ferris through previously keeping his dog calm outside shops.
Flavel told 9News Ferris' dog was tied up outside Foodland and thought his owner would be a while doing his shopping so she untied the dog and moved him up the bench so she could sit with him to stop him barking.
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"I'd hardly tied him up and stopped him yapping and carrying on and Sean came out," Flavel said.
Flavel said Ferris seemed to snap when he walked out and couldn't see his dog.
"He went off his tree at me," she said.
"It gave me such a shock for him to go off at me like he did."
She said Ferris had never spoken to her like that before.
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Flavel didn't report the incident to police, but someone else did and the following day the two officers went to Ferris' home.
Neighbours told 9News Ferris was heard yelling at officers to stop harassing him about his dog before he attacked the pair.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said Allely has been discharged from Royal Adelaide Hospital and is now recovering with family.
Todd remains at the hospital after undergoing surgery overnight for his life-threatening injuries.
"He was in surgery for several hours last night, and the outcome of that surgery was very positive and is showing signs of progress throughout the day," Stevens said.
The police commissioner thanked those who saved Todd's life – a neighbour who ran to his aid and the medical staff involved in his treatment.
He also thanked the community for their well wishes.
"From my point of view, it's important that both of these officers understand the whole organisation is thinking about them," he said.
Crystal Brook residents have told of Ferris' increasingly menacing behaviour, including Flavel who had never seen him react like he did outside Foodland.
Ferris' friend David said he had begun collecting weapons.
"He had a lot of homemade weaponry he'd done over the internet, ordered parts and pieces and bows and arrows," he said.
David also said Ferris has a strong disliking for police.
"That's because he was getting visits from them over petty little things like his dog barking outside Foodland," he said.
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Multiple inquiries are underway as to how the incident occurred.
"This is the most traumatic incident that I can remember in a very long time that has happened to a police officer in our state," Premier Peter Malinauskas said.
Police Minister Joe Szakacs said the attack sent reverberations through the police force and South Australian community.
"Yesterday's incident involving the horrific violence perpetrated towards Ian and Jordan reminds us all of the extraordinary dangers police put themselves in every day," he said.
"It is shocking for the whole state."
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