NSW police officer who fatally shot the Bondi Junction attacker gives evidence

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The officer who stopped last year's deadly stabbing attack in Sydney’s Bondi Junction has given emotional evidence at the coronial inquest.

Transcript

00:00More than a year now since Joel Couchy went on that stabbing rampage with a hunting knife

00:07through Bondi Junction Westfield, killing six people and injuring 10. We have now for the first

00:13time heard the account of Inspector Amy Scott, the hero cop who went inside that shopping centre

00:20alone and stopped his rampage, inevitably saving more people's lives. We heard her today for the

00:28first time. She started off her evidence by sending her sincere condolences to the victims, families

00:33and loved ones saying that she would avail herself in any way to help provide them the answers that

00:39they need. She was then taken back through her account of the day when she initially received

00:45that urgent emergency call out while she was in her police vehicle nearby the Westfields around

00:503.30 in the afternoon. She was the closest to the scene and arrived within minutes. We heard that

00:56she saw a sea of people leaving Bondi Junction Westfield. They were waving her down and telling

01:02her people are dying in there. There's a person in there with a knife. Please can you go in and help?

01:09At that moment Inspector Scott said she went inside where she saw two men. They were French nationals

01:14Silas and Damien who directed her where Joel Couchy was heading and despite being alone she said at that

01:22moment she decided to go in there and take him down and minimise that threat because she said she didn't

01:28feel like she had any time to waste. Despite being alone she had the support of those two French

01:33nationals who followed closely behind and supported her the entire way. She then first came into contact

01:40with Joel Couchy. She went up the escalator and saw him there and yelled out to stop. Instead he ran in the

01:46opposite direction and then she started to pursue him on foot. Inspector Scott said when she eventually

01:52caught up to him again he stopped around some shopping centres where a number of shoppers were

01:57still there unaware of what was taking place and we saw CCTV footage today of just how close Joel Couchy

02:04came to one of those shoppers unaware that he was brandishing a large hunting knife. In that moment

02:09he started to focus on Inspector Scott and she started to try and de-escalate the situation.

02:16When she saw behind Joel Couchy was a woman hiding behind a large pot plant and she was with a pram at

02:23the time. Inspector Scott told the inquest that she mouthed the words run to that woman so she wouldn't

02:28alert Joel Couchy to the woman's presence and she got out of the way. After that she says Couchy charged at

02:34her with the knife and she shot at least four bullets at him. Three of those hit taking him down

02:39they found out later and we heard today in the inquest that one of those bullets actually hit

02:44the large pot plant where that woman had been hiding alongside a pram and Inspector Scott was

02:51commended for her bravery during that day and also for taking such precaution with the civilians

02:57surrounding her telling them to get behind her and get out of harm's way before she took any decisive

03:02action but she said today that didn't come without any fear. She felt nauseous running into that centre

03:08essentially she had resigned herself in her own mind that she would probably die and that's based

03:13on the training. She had received that attending an armed offender and trying to take down an active

03:19armed offender that her chances of not surviving any incident like that was 60 to 70 percent and that

03:25was if she had a partner and she was wearing a vest. She had neither of those at the time. She also

03:30paid tribute to her fellow colleagues who attended the scene saying they were brave and courageous

03:35and also became emotional as she spoke about the number of colleagues who have not been able to

03:39return to the force since that incident took place more than a year ago Kath. Now Ethan Inspector Scott

03:45wasn't the only one to speak at the inquest today. Two men who attempted to fight off Joel Couchy who

03:51you've been speaking about now with bollards also gave evidence today? That's right Kath those two French

03:58nationals Silas and Damien who I spoke about earlier assisted Inspector Amy Scott in tracking down Joel

04:04Couchy and following her closely behind. They were inside the Westfields at the time when this stabbing

04:11rampage all unfolded. Heard from them today as they left court. What went through their mind in that

04:17moment of fear and why they decided to take action? Here's what they had to say.

04:21No I didn't think getting hurt. Yeah we just think stop him. We knew we don't have like maybe a chance

04:33to escape. We knew he was like quite tight but I don't think we really think about that. We just

04:37go. Just the adrenaline came. The coroner commended those two men for their extraordinary bravery and

04:44the actions they took in helping Inspector Scott find Joel Couchy bringing his rampage to an end.

04:51This inquest still has a long way to go. It's expected to run for more than five weeks and there's

04:57still plenty of evidence to be heard. We understand tomorrow we'll start to hear from some of those

05:01first responding paramedics and the communication between those different agencies and how first

05:07responders tackled that event as it was unfolding.

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