A man went on a stabbing spree in a shopping mall in Sydney, Australia, killing six people. A female police officer who single-handedly subdued the assailant at the scene has been drawing attention.
According to reports from public broadcaster ABC in Australia on the 15th (local time), six people were killed and 12 injured in a stabbing spree at a shopping mall in Sydney. The assailant was killed on the spot by a police officer’s bullet.
The assailant, Joel Cauchi (40), swung a 30 cm (11.8 inches) knife at shoppers in Bondi Westfield shopping center in eastern Sydney around 3:20 pm the previous day. Among the injured was a 9-month-old baby, and the baby’s mother was killed by Cauchi.
The incident came to an end when Officer Scott, a female police officer at the scene, shot and killed the assailant. According to witnesses, Officer Scott ran towards the assailant, who was on the fifth floor, and told him to “drop the knife.” When the assailant did not comply, she did not hesitate to shoot.
Afterward, Officer Scott approached the fallen assailant to check his condition, disarmed him, and immediately performed CPR on the victim lying on the ground.
In an interview, a local café owner praised Officer Scott’s response, saying, “She told him to ‘drop the knife,’ but the man charged at the police with the knife. The police had no choice but to shoot, and she responded calmly.”
Another witness also commended Officer Scott, saying, “If she hadn’t pulled the trigger, the assailant would have committed more murders.” Her response was shared through social media.
Meanwhile, the New South Wales (NSW) police announced the identity of the deceased assailant at a press conference today. Cauchi worked as an English tutor in Queensland for several years before moving to Sydney in NSW. Though he had no criminal record, it was revealed that he had previously struggled with mental health issues.
The police stated that while the incident was not motivated by any specific ideology, they are investigating whether Cauchi specifically targeted women, as five of the six victims who died were female.
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