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August 26th, 2013 
AN officer who shot dead a Melbourne driver during a routine traffic stop had been threatened with a flick knife, police say.
Senior police have defended the highway patrol officer’s actions, saying he felt he had no choice but to open fire.
Meanwhile, Vlado Micetic’s family say they are considering legal action, the Nine Network reported.
“The family wants some answers as to why it happened and how it happened,” relative Skender Dardovski said.
Mr Micetic’s sister, who described him as “beautiful, very talented, very smart”, also questioned the officer’s actions.
“It should have never happened. He didn’t deserve to go like this,” Mira Micetic said.
“They could have resolved it in a different way.”
The senior constable, who was working alone, fired three shots at close range and killed the 44-year-old man on Sunday night.
Mr Micetic had been pulled over in the city’s inner south because the car he was driving had suspected stolen number plates.
Police say the officer was trying to arrest Mr Micetic in Windsor about 10.40pm (AEST) when he allegedly pulled out the knife.
Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius says the officer then fired his gun to defend himself.
“Our officer believed that his life was in immediate threat,” he said.
“It’s a terrible decision to have to make.”
At the scene earlier, he said the officer was experienced and respected by his colleagues.
“He certainly knew what he was doing.”
A woman who was in the car when Mr Micetic was shot on Union Street has fled and police want to track her down.
Nearby resident Helen Jones said she heard the gunfire while walking her dogs.
“It was just three shots. Bang, bang bang. Like that,” she said.
Police Association secretary Greg Davies said any police shooting is a tragedy for all involved.
“Regardless of the justification, that man’s got to live with that for the rest of his life,” he said.
But the decision by police to publicly back the officer drew criticism from justice advocates.
Michelle McDonnell, spokeswoman for Federation of Community Legal Centres, said such comments contravene the force’s own guidelines to not pre-judge the outcome of an investigation.
“The police officer may have acted entirely appropriately, but it’s up to the coroner to make that outcome further down the track,” she said.
Mr Cornelius denied he had prejudged the outcome, saying the conclusions police draw will be tested at the inquest and he had a duty to his officers.
“Bottom line is, my members need to know that they’re supported.”
It has been three years since the last fatal Victoria Police shooting.
Homicide detectives and officers from the internal professional standards command are heading up the latest investigation.
The officer’s unmarked patrol car’s dashboard camera may have captured the incident and there may be CCTV footage from nearby businesses.
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