Melbourne police shooting: Man allegedly armed with knife shot in Werribee

Flinders Street Station is quiet during lockdown due to the continuing spread of the coronavirus in Melbourne, Australia. Photo / AP file

A man has been shot by police in Melbourne's west after allegedly refusing to surrender to police when officers were called to reports of an assault.

The man was wanted for questioning over the alleged assault of a woman but when police arrived at the Werribee house it's alleged he refused to leave and then came at officers with a knife.

Police tried to stop the man using a taser and beanbag rounds but when that failed they opened fire.

A police spokeswoman said officers were called to the Sanderling St property in Werribee to reports a woman was being assaulted late last night.

She said the police would allege that when officers arrived the woman had managed to safely leave the house but the man was still inside and refused to come out.

Critical Incident Response Team members attempted to negotiate with the man when he came out of the house allegedly armed with a knife.

The 55-year-old was shot in the legs and was taken to hospital in a stable condition.

A 59-year-old woman, and another woman inside the house at the time of the incident were not injured.

Police said Armed Crime Squad detectives would investigate the shooting with oversight from the Professional Standards Command, which is standard protocol when a police firearm is discharged.