Yesterday, dramatic video footage surfaced showing a detective senior constable bravely confronting shooters in a harrowing scene. As chaos erupted, he strategically took cover behind trees, attempting to neutralize the threat posed by gunmen armed with long-range rifles on a footbridge.
Remarkably, the officer was without any protective gear when he courageously raised his pistol and engaged the attackers.
It is believed that his decisive actions led to the demise of 50-year-old Sajid Akram and the wounding of 24-year-old Naveed Akram. The latter was subsequently detained by police at the scene.
This officer, Cess Barraza, may be familiar to some as he was featured on the police reality TV series, Recruits, over 15 years ago. On the show, he introduced himself with conviction, stating, “My name is Cess Barraza, I’m 26 and I want to be a police officer because I hate crime.”
In response to the incident, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon commented this afternoon. While confirmation is pending regarding whether Barraza’s shots struck the Akrams, the commissioner lauded his bravery and quick thinking in confronting the dangerous situation.
This afternoon, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said authorities had not yet confirmed Barraza’s shots struck the Akrams, but praised his actions in confronting them.
“We’re still awaiting ballistic examination before we can confirm who fired that shot,” he said.Â
“I’m proud of the officer who has been identified, as I am of every police officer there on that day.Â
“The bravery they went through to approach and resolve that situation is incredible.”
A statement from his family said he has a challenging recovery ahead of him, including several rounds of surgery, after “miraculously surviving”.
He has only served in the police force for four months, but Lanyon assured that he will be supported.
“We will find appropriate duties for him, depending on the nature of that injury and his capacity,” the commissioner said.
