6 killed in Sydney mall stabbing, attacker shot dead by ‘hero’ policewoman
- Emergency services were called to a shopping centre near Bondi Beach, police said, with eight people, including a nine-month-old baby, rushed to hospital
- Media reports said one of the five women who died was the infant’s mother. Investigators said no indications suggested the incident was terror-related
A female police officer who shot dead a knife attacker who killed six people and injured several others in a Sydney shopping centre has been hailed a hero who saved lives.
The New South Wales Police officer was one of dozens who responded to a stabbing spree at around 3:30pm (0540 GMT) on Saturday in the Westfield Bondi Junction centre.
But she appeared to be on her own as she fired after being confronted by the knifeman who lunged at her, police said.
The unnamed officer then tried to resuscitate him until paramedics arrived by carrying out CPR, but he could not be revived.
Images on social media show her crouched over the body of the attacker as blood pools around his head, while another clip shows her trying to resuscitate a victim lying motionless inside the shopping centre.
A shopper, who was not named, described the officer’s actions to Australia’s ABC News: “He just started floating towards us and all I heard was ‘put it down’ and then she shot him.