The man shot by police at a swingers' party in a King Street nightclub took fake guns to at least one other Saints and Sinners Ball at the same venue, without attracting the attention of Victoria Police.
A former partner of Dale Ewins, 35, said they went to a New Years' Eve function at the club dressed as gangsters, including "pinstripes, guns and holsters – the whole lot".
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The woman, who asked not to be named, said the fake guns were just part of "getting into character" at the adults-only parties.
"I'm pretty sure he put the toy gun in my mouth while having sex," she said.
"Not one single person, whether it be people attending, security, or any staff looked scared, threatened, questioned us, or even blinked an eyelid at our toy guns."
She defended Mr Ewins, who she described as "the most loving, caring and respectful man I've ever known."
Mr Ewins, who works as a barman at a Bass Coast hotel, remains in a stable condition after being shot by police as he engaged in a sexual act with his new partner, Zita Sukys, 37.
"He is no threat to anyone and I never felt threatened or in danger with him even though he held toy guns to my head," Mr Ewins' former partner said.
![Dale Ewins with a friend at a New Year's Eve party at Inflation nighclub.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170712151538im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/8/r/m/4/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gx8pxp.png/1499842364432.jpg)
After the shooting on Saturday morning, Superintendent Lisa Hardeman said police had responded to a direct threat from Mr Ewins.
"If you look at all the circumstances when a gun is aimed at you, and you ask somebody to drop the gun and that does not occur, you need to make a split-second decision to protect yourself," she said.
![A former partner says Dale Ewins is 'no threat to anyone'.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170712151538im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/8/n/e/d/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gx8pxp.png/1499740088303.jpg)
Superintendent Hardeman said police had received "a number of phone calls in relation to the male with the firearm, including from the venue".
On Tuesday, Fairfax Media revealed exclusive CCTV footage that showed heavily armed members of the Critical Incident Response Team storming into the King Street club at 3.54am on Saturday.
![graphic](http://web.archive.org./web/20170712151538im_/http://www.smh.com.au/cqstatic/12z7v7/1107inflation729px.png)
In just 32 seconds they had scaled a flight of stairs and shot Mr Ewins and Ms Sukys in a darkened corner of the first floor.
Mr Ewins was given about 7 seconds to comply with police orders before he was shot and then Tasered.
The incident is now the subject of an investigation by Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission.
The video taken in the dimly lit room does not confirm whether Mr Ewins was pointing a gun at the officer, as police claim.
However, it also fails to substantiate allegations by management and staff that he was not holding a weapon, or that he was attempting to pull his pants up when shot.
No charges have been laid against Mr Ewins.