Troy Martin Foster, 32, rushed at officers with a knife in the moments before he was killed at Southport.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Steve Hollands said police were called to a disturbance about 6.55pm on Monday.

He said it appeared that a man was arguing with a woman and when two dog squad officers told him to stop, the man turned on them.

“As a consequence of that the male then came at the police officers with a knife. Police were then placed in a position where they had to use their firearms and as a consequence of that the male person is now deceased,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Hollands said.

Foster is believed to be the same man involved in an attempted robbery at the Warrnambool Coles car park public toilets in December 2010.

He is alleged to have followed a 26-year-old woman into the toilets, knocked on a door while she was in a cubicle and demand she surrender her handbag, warning her he had a knife.

The woman did not hand over her handbag and screamed, prompting Foster to flee empty-handed. He pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court in February 2013 to attempted armed robbery and failing to answer bail after he fled to Queensland. He was jailed for six months.

Although originally from Portland, Foster had criminal convictions in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales. The shooting will be investigated by the police ethical standards command.

?- with Kristian Silva