'We are just devastated': Family of young woman with Asperger's shot dead by police outside Hungry Jack's because she was wielding a huge knife reveal they are 'struggling to cope'

• e-mail

The parents of a 22-year-old woman shot dead by police outside a Hungry Jack's on Monday has released a photo of their beloved daughter who lived with Asperger's syndrome.

Two days after Courtney Jade Topic was shot in the chest after wielding a knife, the Topic family said that they were grateful for the love they had felt from the Australian public.

'The Topic family would like to thank everyone for their overwhelming support,' the family said in a statement released through NSW Police.

Scroll down for video  

The distraught family of 22-year-old Courtney Topic released the above photo of their beloved daughter

'We ask that you could respect our privacy during this tragic time,' the statement said.

The Topic family also released a photo of Ms Topic, which shows her smiling and standing next to a birthday cake.  

On Wednesday, Ms Topic's father said the family was distraught by her death and still trying to come to terms with the loss.

'We are really struggling to cope… we are just devastated,' he told the Daily Mail Australia.

  The family is focusing on organising a funeral for Ms Topic, as her former principle offered his condolences to her loved ones.

'Our deepest prayers and sympathies have been extended to the family concerned,' said Raymond Wooby, the principal at Freeman Catholic College.

'Their ongoing support and care will be our highest priority and we will continue to monitor the wellbeing off all student and staff in this difficult time,' he told The Sydney Morning Herald. 

Ms Topic, from Carnes Hill in south-west Sydney, was wielding a knife when a police officer shot her in the chest in West Hoxton on Tuesday.

Ms Topic had Asperger syndrome, a condition that comes under autism spectrum disorder and causes difficulty relating to people and problems understanding instructions and social rules, the Daily Telegraph reported.  

A photo obtained by Channel 7 shows the victim sipping on a drink and brandishing a knife by a service station next to Hungry Jack's before she died

The  moment after a 22-year-old woman was shot by a male officer in Sydney's west on Tuesday were captured on a passing driver's phone 

Frozen: Five officers surrounded the woman's body with their guns still drawn, seconds after the fatal shot was fired

The shooting was captured on the phone of a shocked motorist driving past the bloody scene.

Shouts of 'he shot her!' could be heard from the car as it slowly edged towards the footpath on Tuesday just before midday in West Hoxton, Sydney's west, where five police officers were filmed surrounding the 22-year-old woman's body on the ground.

The officers appeared to be frozen in place for an instant, with their guns still drawn, when the car finally came right up to the scene, the footage aired by Nine News revealed. 

As one policeman kneeled on the ground and rolled the woman's body onto its side, a male officer could be seen bending over with his hands on his knees before pacing slightly forward.

Bending again even further and lowering his head, a female officer in front of him could be seen turning to face him as the unseen filmers hid their camera from view.

Just before they finally drove off, the driver and his passengers captured a final glimpse of the scene. A second officer was filmed bending over the body as three more rushed to the scene, two of which had already begun putting on blue forensic gloves.

A male officer who is believed to have fired the shot, was filmed pacing (left) and bending over in shock, with his hands on his knees as a female officer turned to comfort him (right) 

Just before they finally drove off, a last glimpse of the scene showed a second officer bending over the body as three more rushed to the scene, two of which had already begun putting on blue forensic gloves

Police attempted to revive the woman immediately after she was shot and an ambulance was called, however she died at the scene. The intersection was temporarily closed to the public.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Frank Mennilli said 'a number of tactical options were deployed' including capsicum spray and a taser before a male constable 'resorted to using his firearm'.

A witness who watched the confrontation between the woman and police unfold told Nine News that the 22-year-old repeatedly lunged at police with her 30cm blade.

'They tried to talk to her a little bit and she kind of lost it,' the witness, Ashton Tuimaseve, said.

'She started charging the male officer and the male officer was backing up looking like he was unwillingly not wanting to do anything. And then he fired one shot and it hit her in the chest.

'I think at the time she was being tazered and that's what might have slowed her down a little bit. 

Witness Ashton Tuimaseve said: 'there was two female officers comforting the male officer that did fire the shot'

The woman was 'walking around with a large kitchen knife' and had been spotted 'running around the street earlier in Carnes Hill' when police were called, NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Frank Mennilli said

Police said they tried a 'number of tactical options' before shooting the 22-year-old woman

Police and Forensic Service personnel on the scene of a shooting at a fast food restaurant at West Hoxton

'And she just, you know, the male officer obviously didn't want to do it like he just kept running backwards.'

'There was two female officers comforting the male officer that did fire the shot.'

Another witness, Robert Duncan, described the woman as moving towards the police 'in a zombie like fashion' while 'wielding and swinging a knife'.

'The woman came so close to one of the officers that he was going to be stabbed or had been stabbed and then I heard a pop sound and she went to the ground,' Mr Duncan told News Corp.

Police reportedly spent time trying to revive the woman after she was shot 

Witnesses described the woman as moving towards the police 'in a zombie like fashion' while 'wielding and swinging a knife' 

'She could not have been tackled, the way she was running and swinging the knife it would have been impossible to get an arm or leg shot on her… she just kept coming as if she was possessed.'

The woman was 'walking around with a large kitchen knife' and had been spotted 'running around the street earlier in Carnes Hill' when police were called, Mr Mennilli said.

'The officers are distraught and also at this time I would like to pass on my condolences to the friends and family of the deceased,' he added.

Her mother was reported to have collapsed after being informed of the incident according to News Corp, who revealed she works as a teacher's aide. 

These images are thought to show the spot, marked by orange cones, where the woman was shot dead

A father, daughter and son who live across the road from Hungry Jack's - with their backyard backing onto Hoxton Park Road - told Daily Mail Australia they had a view of the whole thing. 

'The girl was the only one outside. We think she was trying to hold up the petrol station. An incident happened near the service station last week. Policemen chasing the person but there were no shots that time,' Alan Sobbi, 45, said.

'My son said he saw something in her hand. We saw a group of police officers with some trying to revive her,' he added. 

Another witness, who did not want to be named, told Daily Mail Australia he had stopped his car 30 metres away and saw police shoot the girl. 

'Basically I just saw a girl run away from the Hungry Jack's, servo area to the corner of Cowpasture Road,' he said.

'There were four or five officers basically running towards her and she was trying to run away and the copper just shot her in the stomach. 

'She was surrounded by all four corners so the only way out was to run towards a cop anyway, it would have been a hard situation.' 

The women was 'walking around with a large kitchen knife' police said

She had been spotted 'running around the street earlier in Carnes Hill' NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Frank Mennilli said

A critical incident team from the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad will investigate the shooting

'I saw her put her hands up and saw her put her hands down towards her belt and then she got shot,' he said.

'She may have been trying to grab something. I didn't see a big butcher's knife in her hand or her lunge at police.' 

'A critical incident team from the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad and assisted by investigators from South West Metropolitan Region will now investigate all circumstances surrounding the incident, including the woman's actions prior to police intervention and the discharge of a firearm,' a police statement said.

'That investigation will be overseen by the Professional Standards Command.

'All information will be provided to the Coroner who will determine the cause of death and make any findings about the events leading to the woman's death.' 

Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward. Anyone who can assist police should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. 

Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward. Anyone who can assist police should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000

Local people and police are gathering at the scene of the shooting