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A police woman is being hailed as a 'hero' after she courageously confronted a knife-wielding attacker as he went on a stabbing rampage at a shopping centre Down Under.
Inspector Amy Scott single-handedly subdued the man - who has since been identified by police as Joel Cauchi - after chasing him through the Westfield shopping centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday (13 April).
Warning: This video contains scenes which some viewers may find distressing:
Chaos unfolded in the busy mall at around 3.30pm local time when the 40-year-old man began wounding shoppers with a long blade, with investigators saying it was 'obvious' that the killer was focusing on female victims.
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18 people were stabbed by Cauchi, six of whom tragically passed away after succumbing to their injuries.
A baby girl was among those injured while Jade Young, 47, Pikria Darchia, 55, Dawn Singleton, 25, Ashlee Good, 38, and Yixuan Cheng, who is believed to be in her 20s, were sadly killed.
The only male killed in the attack was security guard Faraz Tahir, 30, who tried to intervene.
Despite his efforts to take down Cauchi and another man's attempt to tackle him on an escalator with a bollard, it was a sole police officer who managed to bring the terrifying ordeal which has rocked Australia to an end.
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Inspector Scott, who had been conducting routine duties in the area, was the first cop on scene when reports of the mass stabbing began to come in and she didn't think twice about 'running towards the danger'.
Bystanders quickly ushered her up to the fifth floor of the Westfield shopping centre after she arrived, where Cauchi had made his way to, before she came face-to-face with the assailant.
According to witnesses, the officer instructed the man to 'put it [the weapon] down' before he suddenly lunged towards her with the blade.
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Scott then shot Cauchi, before promptly administering CPR until paramedics arrived before he was declared dead.
Waverley mayor Paula Masselos told Sky News: "Even [after she shot the attacker], she immediately began applying CPR - that just shows you the dedication of the person and her incredible act of heroism - even then her main concern was for someone who had fallen."
An unnamed shopper recalled the moment Cauchi was confronted and told ABC News Australia: "He just started floating towards us and all I heard was 'put it down' and then she shot him.
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"But we were in no doubt, if she didn't shoot him, he would have kept going. He was on the rampage," they added.
"Then she walked over and gave him CPR. He had a big blade on him - she chucked the knife away. He looked like he was on a killing spree."
The family of Cauchi said they had 'no issues' with the cop's actions, as she was 'only doing her job to protect others' in a statement released through Queensland Police which added: "We hope she is coping alright."
It explained that the knifeman had 'battled with mental health issues since he was a teenager'.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Scott was 'certainly a hero' and that her actions had no doubt saved lives.
He continued: "The wonderful inspector who ran into danger by herself and removed the threat that was there to others, without thinking about the risks to herself."
He added that it was a reminder that 'those people who wear uniform are people who rush to danger, not away from it'.
Scott is said to be 'doing well under the circumstances', with New South Wales police minister Yasmin Catley explaining she had been blown away by her 'humble' nature despite her heroic actions.
She said: "When I met Amy last night... we talked about her going straight into police mode, everything she has been taught during her career and how instinctive it was.
"When I said to her 'thank you for your courage' she said 'it was not just me, the bystanders around me were so helpful'.
"[She was] so humble, it's just typical of a NSW police office."
Police said Cauchi was known to authorities for mental health-related matters and although a motive has not yet been identified, cops do not believe the attack in Sydney was terrorism-related.
Topics: Australia, Crime, News, World News
Olivia Burke