The police officer who shot and killed one gunman and wounded another during the Bondi Beach attack has been named as Detective Senior Constable Cesar Barraza.
Father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram opened fire on crowds gathered to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday.
The shooting ended when 50-year-old Sajid Akram was fatally shot by police. His 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, was also shot and collapsed at the scene.
It is believed Detective Senior Constable Barraza, a Bondi-based officer known as “Cess”, fired the shots from a distance of about 40 metres while taking cover behind a tree.
Video from the scene shows Barraza wearing a blue shirt and tie, sheltering behind a tree and facing a footbridge where the alleged gunmen were positioned.
“The second shot (that hit Naveed Akram) has astounded firearms experts… they actually can’t believe it,” a source told the Daily Telegraph.
A ballistics review is now underway as investigators continue to examine the police response to the mass shooting, including whether Barraza’s bullets struck the attackers.
Detective Senior Constable Barraza has more than 15 years’ experience with the NSW Police Force and previously appeared on the reality television program Recruits, which followed new officers at the start of their careers.
On the show, a younger Barraza said: “I want to be a police officer because I hate crime.”
Two other police officers were seriously injured during the confrontation.
Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert, 22, was shot in the head and shoulder and has lost vision in one eye. His family said he had been intubated, undergone multiple surgeries, and is facing a “long and challenging” recovery.
Constable Hibbert had been serving in the police force for just four months and was patrolling the Hanukkah event when the shooting began.
“In the face of a violent and tragic incident, he responded with courage, instinct, and selflessness,” his family said.
“Jack was simply doing his job – a job he deeply loves – driven by a commitment to protect the community, even at great personal cost.”
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said he had visited Constable Hibbert and assured him of ongoing support.
“Jack is incredibly comforted by the knowledge that, as his commissioner, I have given him an undertaking that we really support him,” he said.
“We will find appropriate duties for him depending on the nature of that injury and his capacity.”
NSW Police Legacy has set up a fundraising portal to assist Constable Hibbert and his family.
Constable Scott Dyson was also taken to hospital after being shot in the shoulder and stomach.
One of the first officers to arrive at the scene, Constable Dyson was critically injured and remains in intensive care in a serious but stable condition.
Police said Constable Dyson has been attached to Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command for 18 months after graduating in June last year. He learned just last week that he was going to become a father.
On a Police Legacy fundraising page, he was described as “one of the nicest guys around”.
“This fundraiser will help Scott and his growing family and give him the best chance to rebuild his life,” the page said.
“The Dyson family greatly appreciate any support you can give.”
Image: 7News
