Police officer who shot dead Bondi Junction stabbing offender hailed a hero
A lone police officer was out in Bondi on Saturday. Later that afternoon she would shoot dead an armed man and save "a range of people's lives".
The woman, an inspector in the New South Wales Police Force, was the first officer to respond to the fatal stabbing of six people at Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday afternoon.
Now, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and others are describing her as a hero.
Witness says man was running at people with knife
The incident began when the offender arrived at the shopping centre at about 3:10pm, police said.
He left and returned about 10 minutes later armed with a knife.
A witness, who asked not to be identified, told the ABC he saw the man stabbing people "indiscriminately".
Map showing the movements of the attacker on level 4 in Westfield Bondi Junction. (ABC News)
Another witness, Rohan Anderson, who was at the centre at the time of the attack, said the man was "running towards different people" with a knife.
"He was running up to them, or trying to … I don’t know what he was doing," he told the ABC.
Five women and one man have died as a result of the stabbing rampage.
A nine-month-old baby is among the eight injured in hospital, according to NSW police.
Offender raised knife at officer, police say
NSW Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said the officer was operating as a "single unit" and was nearby.
When she arrived at the shopping centre she was directed by a range of people and confronted the offender who had moved to level five.
As she was walking quickly behind the offender to catch up to him, he turned to face her and raised his knife, Assistant Commissioner Cooke later said.
The officer fired her gun and the man, who police believe acted alone, died at the scene.
NSW Assistant Commissioner Cooke said it unfolded very quickly.
"She took the actions that she did, saving a range of people's lives," he said.
Map inside Westfield Bondi Junction showing where the armed man was killed. (ABC News)
Officer showed 'enormous courage and bravery'
Mr Albanese commended the bravery the officer showed by entering such a dangerous situation alone and acting immediately to save others.
"She is certainly a hero," he said.
"It is a reminder that those people who wear uniform are people who rush to danger, not away from it."
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said the officer was "doing well under the circumstances" in the wake of the incident.
"She showed enormous courage and bravery," Commissioner Webb said.
She said the officer would be formally interviewed on Sunday and had everything that she needed for the time being.
"We just talked about that. She's OK, her family is OK," Commissioner Webb said.
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