A colleague of slain policeman Bill Crews has paid an emotional tribute to his friend, describing him as a fantastic officer who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting the community.
Police Association president Scott Weber, who was also a close friend of Constable Crews, said that, although the police force was in mourning, officers would be there in strength for his family long into the future.
"Today, all NSW police are mourning. We have lost a brother, we've lost a son, we've lost a good mate but most important we've lost a colleague," a visibly shaken Mr Weber told reporters in Sydney today.
"It is so upsetting when we see one of our colleagues make the ultimate sacrifice in protecting us all."
Constable Crews was shot in the head while conducting a drug raid on a home in Bankstown in Sydney's south-west last night.
He died in hospital just after midnight.
Constable Crews graduated from police college at Goulburn in 2007 and had spent three years performing general duties at Campsie police station in Sydney.
His father Kelvin was a police officer at Glen Innes in northern NSW until he retired in 2000 and his brother Ben is an officer in Sydney.
Constable Crews was due to be best man at a wedding near Lismore this weekend, the Glen Innes Examiner reported.
It was "up in the air at the moment" whether the wedding would go ahead, the father of the groom-to-be said.
Royle Stevens, a neighbour of Constable Crews's parents in Shannon Vale, near to Glen Innes, said the family was well-known in the area and had been living there for many years.
Constable Crews's mother, Sharon, is a pre-school teacher and he has two sisters, Rebecca and Kate.
The father of Constable Crews's close friend Scott Newberry said the officer was a "genuinely nice guy from a great family".
"It's such a shame," Barry Newberry said.
"My son spent last weekend with him at a bucks' party and they were looking forward to catching up at the wedding.
"My son actually sent him a text just before he went out on the drug bust."
Mr Newberry said Constable Crews loved rugby league and was involved in all sports when he was a student at Glen Innes High.
"He was involved in polocrosse and the pony camp and just about everything as a youngster," he said.
"Me and my young fella went to the races with him a couple of weeks ago at the Gold Coast."
Mr Wayne Williams, who works with Mr Kelvin Crews, said of William: "His parents were very proud of him, of his achievements to get into [the squad]. They were extremely proud the day they knew he was accepted into that."
Mr Weber, who was at the scene for most of the night and had hardly slept before addressing the media, said the incident was a tragic reminder of the danger police officers faced every day.
"It just brings home how inherently dangerous it is for police in the state of NSW to go out there and protect the community every day," he said, pausing to compose himself several times.
"Night and day, police officers are abused, intimidated, assaulted and even they make the ultimate sacrifice like we saw last night."
Mr Weber would not comment on the raid itself, saying it was still under investigation and was being referred to the coroner, but he renewed calls for police to receive all possible forms of support.
"Police officers need to have the resources, they need to have the extra numbers, we need that training to make sure we are protected out on the street," Mr Weber said.
The Police Association would also support any renewed calls for the introduction of mandatory life sentences for anybody who murdered a police officer, he said.
While the police force was in mourning, Mr Weber said, it really needed community support, particularly as it continued to assist Constable Crews's family.
"There would be nothing better than the community [to] come up and say hello to a police officer, and offer their support and sympathy.
"This is about respect for police officers and it's about protecting the state of NSW."
Politicians in the NSW lower house rose for a moment's silence this afternoon, after emotional speeches from Premier Kristina Keneally and Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell.
Ms Keneally said Constable Crews had paid the "ultimate price" while carrying out his job.
"I express my deepest sorrow to Constable Crews's family, to his parents, and to his siblings - they've lost a brother, and a son, and a much-loved member of their family," Ms Keneally told Parliament.
"They've lost him in the most unimaginable way and, we today as a state, stand behind them in support.
"I also express on behalf of the government my sympathy and my condolences to Constable Crews's other family - the NSW Police Force.
"They have today lost a workmate, a colleague, they've lost themselves a member of their family."
Mr O'Farrell gave his condolences to Constable Crews's family.
"Every single day, police and their families deal with the risks that come with their jobs [and] no matter how sophisticated the training they receive, nothing can remove the dangers inherent in the roles they undertake on our behalf," Mr O'Farrell said.
"William Crews died protecting the safety and security that so many of us take for granted."
Glenda Kwek, AAP and Matt Nicholls, the Glen Innes Examiner
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