NSW Police Inspector Recounts Deadly Bondi Stabbing Response: ‘I Thought He Was Going to Kill Me’
NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott has described the terrifying moment she believed she would be killed by Joel Cauchi before fatally shooting him during a stabbing attack at Westfield Bondi Junction in April last year that left six people dead.
Inspector Scott gave her testimony during the second day of a five-week coronial inquest into the attack. She was on patrol in Bondi when she received an emergency radio call and rushed to the scene, where she encountered crowds fleeing the shopping centre.
Inside, she saw Cauchi on level five and called out for him to stop. When he turned and ran, she noticed he was holding a knife approximately 30 centimetres long and worked quickly to clear civilians from his path, aware it was school holidays and the mall was crowded.
Eventually, Cauchi turned and ran toward her, prompting Scott to fire three shots—two of which struck him. The third hit a pot plant near where a mother with a pram had previously hidden. The entire encounter lasted just under a minute and a half.
After confirming Cauchi’s death, Scott had to retrieve the weapon from under his body.
Civilians Help Police Track the Attacker
Two French carpenters, Silas Despreaux and Damien Guerot, assisted Inspector Scott by directing her to Cauchi’s location. Armed only with bollards they had picked up inside the centre, the men had attempted to stop the attacker but were unsuccessful. They re-entered the centre with Scott, standing behind her as she confronted Cauchi.
“You’re on your own, so we’re going with you,” one of the men told her, according to Scott’s testimony. She instructed them to stay behind her for safety.
Scott said she remained concerned there could have been additional attackers during the incident.
An Emotional Reflection on Fear and Courage
Outside court, Mr Guerot called Scott “a hero.” Scott herself grew emotional recalling the bravery of her colleagues, some of whom have since left the force due to the trauma.
She acknowledged the fear police experience in such situations, saying she felt nauseous entering the centre and believed she might die.
“Our training says you’ve got a 60 to 70 per cent chance of not surviving even when partnered and wearing protective gear. I had neither,” she said.
Despite the tragedy, Scott said the public response and support from fellow officers “restored [her] faith in humanity.”
The coronial inquest continues.
