Police shoot dead man holding scissors to throat of elderly florist as he charges at cops in Sydney

FROM MIRROR ONLINE - WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: A witness captured on mobile phone the moment a man, described as Asian and in his 30s, was shot by police after refusing to put down the weapon

This is the terrifying moment a man who had been holding a pair of scissors to an elderly florist's throat was shot dead as he charged at cops.

Witnesses described seeing the unnamed man threatening the owner of a florist shop at the Central Station, in Sydney, Australia, earlier today.

Amateur footage of the incident shot on a mobile phone shows a man running at police officers before he is shot several times at close range.

He is then seen falling to the ground, apparently lifeless.

Onlookers said the man had refused to put down the scissors before charging at officers, who were responding to reports of an "armed robbery", on Eddy Avenue just before 6.45pm local time.

Police gave him first aid but he died at the scene, a spokeswoman for New South Wales Police said.