NSW Premier, Opposition leader support Cross of Valour for police officer who ended Bondi Massacre

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and his Opposition counterpart, Kellie Sloane, today said the police officer who killed Sajid Akram and fought Naveed Akram at Bondi Beach last December, ending the worst terrorist attack in Australian history, deserves to receive the highest civilian bravery award, the Cross of Valour.

Senior Constable Cesar Barraza, a detective on his last shift before taking annual leave, ran towards the shooters on December 14 without body armour or extra ammunition after hearing a colleague, Constable Scott Dyson, call out over the radio: “I think I’ve been shot.”

Taking shelter behind a tree, he killed Sajid Akram with his first shot, according to Bondi Terror, a book about the attack and aftermath by journalist Sharri Markson and Jewish leader Alex Ryvchin.

He then engaged in a gunfight, using his newly issued Glock 17, with Naveed Akram, who shot at him and other police officers with a rifle. After about a minute of moving and ducking, Akram exposed himself in a small gap between the stairs and the bridge.

Senior Constable Barraza “saw his chance and he took it”, Markson and Ryvchin write in Bondi Terror, which will be released next Tuesday. “Both shooters were finally down, seven minutes and 40 seconds after the first shot was fired.”

A dedicated pistol marksman, the detective fired 15 of his 18 bullets, according to the book. His Glock 17 was larger than the pistols carried by many officers, more accurate and had a larger magazine.

On Friday Mr Minns said that he supported the police officer being awarded the Cross of Valour, the civilian equivalent of the Victoria Cross.

A Seventh-day Adventist Christian, Senior Constable Barraza was assigned to Bondi Beach from the cybercrime division only six weeks earlier.

According to the book, he prayed he would be sent to a station where he was most needed and asked his pastor to pray for the same outcome.

Mr Minns said he had met the police officer and considered him “brave, humble and completely dedicated to protecting the community”.

“In my view, his actions saved many lives that day,” he told The Nightly. “There’s a process for the Cross of Valour, but I support Cesar receiving it. I think what he did deserves the highest recognition we can give him.

“He’s a humble guy who did an extraordinarily brave thing and now he’s back at work serving the people of NSW. We’re very lucky to have him.”

Ms Sloane, the State Liberal leader, said she supported awarding the detective the Cross of Valour, as did Nationals leader Matt Canavan.

A local MP, Ms Sloane went to Bondi during the attack to help people shot. Fifteen people died and about 40 were injured, apart from the Akrams, who arrived at the famous beach with ISIS flags, two shotguns, a Beretta rifle and four homemade bombs.

Introduced in 1975, the Cross of Valour has been awarded five times. The last recipients were Tim Britten, a West Australian police officer, and Richard Joyes, a Tasmanian geologist, who pulled victims from the Sari nightclub in Indonesia hit by a terrorist attack known as the 2002 Bali bombings.

The medal is awarded by the Governor-General for “acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril” on the advice of the Australian Bravery Decorations Council. Given the number of people involved, Governor-General Sam Mostyn has approved a special honours list to recognise those who responded to the attack. Nominations are currently being considered for the list, her office said today.

Senator Canavan said the exceptional bravery required was illustrated by the less than half-a-dozen people awarded the medal in more than 50 years.

“Cesar’s selfless courage, while putting his own safety in extreme peril, meets the high bar set for our highest civilian bravery award,” he said. “Cesar would be a worthy recipient.”

The president of the NSW Police Association, Kevin Morton, said the detective “deserves to be acknowledged for his outstanding conduct” with other police officers and first responders who helped end the massacre and treat victims.

“Detective Senior Constable Barraza displayed quickness of judgement and exceptional bravery, running into danger and responding to the call to protect his colleagues with no thought for his own safety and preventing the loss of further lives in protecting the community,” he said.

Senior Constable Barraza has been unable to give interviews because of the standard investigation that takes place whenever a police officer is involved in a fatal shooting, according to Markson, a News24 host. The police force declined to comment.

Naveed Akram has been charged with 78 offences, including committing a terrorist act. He has not been required to make a plea yet.

The book was launched by Mr Minns on Thursday night at the Bondi Pavilion, a council-owned community building adjacent to the site of the massacre.

Former treasurer and prominent Jew Josh Frydenberg told several hundred guests, including former prime ministers John Howard and Scott Morrison, that violence and intimidation towards Jews culminated in the attack.

“I’m angry about it, and people here are angry about it, because there are no excuses,” he said. “Those people who were in positions of authority ignored the warnings.

“There were desperate cries for help that fell on deaf ears, and for that 15 people lost their lives.”

The anti-Semitism royal commission established by the Albanese Government is required to examine the emergency services response to the attack and other related events and problems. It is due to report by December 18.