In the wake of tragic events, it’s the stories of courage and heroism that give us hope.
As Australia reels from the shocking violence and senseless tragedy of the Bondi Junction massacre, we’re also left in awe of the brave actions of the many police and everyday Australians who responded at the scene—but especially that of police inspector Amy Scott, who stopped the Bondi attacker and saved many lives.
This week, Inspector Scott’s heroism was recognised with the Commissioner’s Valour Award—an award bestowed on officers who performs an act of exceptional bravery in life-threatening situations.
The award was bestowed at the graduation ceremony of 169 new officers from Goulburn Police Academy.
At the ceremony, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb praised Inspector Scott as an example of “going above and beyond.”
“There will be days that challenge you, but also many rewarding days,” she said.
“While we don’t become police officers for recognition, it is important to recognise those who go above and beyond to protect the community of New South Wales.
“Detective inspector Amy Scott is an example of this.”
Inspector Scott said she was “I am incredibly honoured and grateful to receive an award on this level, however those mixed emotions are with the fact I do feel like I’m taking it on behalf of my team, because I don’t want people to forget how incredible they were on that day.”
Scott also praised the first responders and the public who displayed “acts of bravery,” as well the Bondi Junction victims and their loved ones.
“It’s really important for me to keep those people at the forefront of everything, and that’s where they are for me, always on my mind.”
On the afternoon of Saturday, April 13, Inspector Scott was conducting routine duties in Bondi Junction when she heard reports of a man attacking people with a knife at Westfield shopping centre.
Without waiting for back-up, Inspector Scott rushed to the shopping centre, where terrified shoppers directed her to Joel Cauchi’s location on level five.
Alone, Inspector Scott made her way to level five, where she confronted Cauchi and told him to drop the knife. It’s understood Cauchi then lunged at her and she shot him dead. As she waited for back up, Scott then attempted to revive Cauchi by performing CPR on him.
“She is certainly a hero,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said at the time. “There is no doubt that she saved lives through her actions.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns also called Scott the “best in the state.”
“The best in this state confronted one of the worst acts we have ever seen,” Mr Minns said on Sunday, April 14.
The premier also praised Amy Scott’s “instinctive bravery” as she “ran towards danger” and “without a shadow of a doubt, saved many, many lives”.
“This state owes her an enormous debt of gratitude … I’m sure there are many committees to run through before someone’s actually given a hero award or a bravery award but I think we can call it – this is outstanding courage and bravery under incredibly difficult circumstances.”
It’s certainly rare to witness the type of courage and decisiveness that Scott exhibited during the Bondi Junction stabbing.
As a society, we’re more accustomed to seeing police wait for the ‘right’ moment to leap into action. In 2014, hostages were trapped inside Sydney’s Lindt Cafe for more than 16 hours before police stormed the building. Similarly, the world was shocked by the 2022 Ulvade school shooting in the US, which saw police wait more than an hour to enter the building with tragic consequences.
Inspector Amy Scott, on the other hand, didn’t hesitate to leap into action. She didn’t consult a tactical response team or wait for backup. She immediately sought to neutralise the threat to public, with no thought as to her personal safety.
The fact that the majority of the victims, both deceased and injured, were women also suggests that Couchi may have held violent ideologies towards women.
As NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb noted, “The videos speak for themselves, don’t they?”… “It’s obvious to me, it’s obvious to detectives… that the offender focused on women and avoided the men.”
If not ironic, then it’s at least noteworthy that it was a woman who single-handedly brought Cauchi’s reign of terror to an end.
Amy Scott’s History Of Bravery
This is not the first time Amy Scott has been recognised for her bravery.
In 2019, Inspector Scott was recognised by the Kings Cross Rotary Club for “demonstrated courage and devotion to duty”.
This case involved a missing teenager, Ursula Barwick, who Scott discovered had died in a collision and buried under the name of an alias. Barwick’s family also praised Scott for not giving up until she found out the truth.
Inspector Scott joins an impressive list of NSW police women who have had a significant impact in recent times. This includes Superintendents Gina Bostick, Joanne Schultz and Sonya Tabor, who were awarded the prestigious Australian Police Medal (APM) in 2024, as well as NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb, who was named as the first woman in that role at a time when it was reported that only three in 10 sworn officers were women.
Now, the country is asking: how is Amy Scott coping with the aftermath of the ordeal?
NSW Police Association president Kevin Morton said Inspector Scott didn’t get a lot of sleep on that Saturday night but was “content with what she had to do”.
“I spoke to her last night and again this morning and she said ‘it was a night with not a lot of sleep’,” Mr Morton told The Daily Telegraph on Sunday, April 14.
“Everyone will be keeping an eye on her obviously, there will be a lot of support from everyone.”
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb also shared that Scott was “doing well under the circumstances” and that right now she “everything she needs.”
If you need support, reach out to any of these services:
- Lifeline: call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14 or chat online
- Beyond Blue: call 1300 22 4636
- 1800RESPECT: call 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or chat online
- If you need immediate assistant, please call 000
This article originally appeared on Marie Claire Australia and is republished here with permission.
