Man who fought knife-wielding man in shopping mall offered visa extension and Australian citizenship
Australia has promised a French citizen an Australian visa for his bravery, while Australian authorities say the ‘brave citizen’ can stay in Australia as long as he wants. This French citizen tried to stop the suspect who killed six people by stabbing him in a mall in Sydney, Australia.
A Pakistani national was also among the dead. Damian Gero was hailed as a hero in Australia after a video of him fighting and struggling with knife-wielding attacker Joel Cauchi inside a mall went viral on Saturday.
The accused, named Joel Kachi, killed six people and injured 12 others by stabbing them. After that, the accused was shot dead by the police officer. This mall attack has scared the whole country.
About this attack, the police say that the target of the accused was a woman, as five of the six people killed were women. This week, while outrage is being expressed across the country over this incident, there are also talks of extending the visa period of the French citizen who tried to stop the attacker from staying longer in the country.
His temporary visa is due to expire next month. Prime Minister Anthony Albany has said that he will ensure that there are no problems in renewing the visa of Frenchman Damien Giroud, who is also called ‘Bollard Man’ by some people. He told a press conference on Tuesday: ‘I say to Damien, you are welcome; stay here as long as you want.
We would welcome him to become an Australian citizen, although it would undoubtedly be a loss to France. We thank them for their extraordinary bravery. The scene of Damian Giroud in a white T-shirt confronting Kachi on a Skeletor (auto-escalator) has been broadcast worldwide.
In the video, they are trying to stop it. Mr Gero says he and a friend, Silas Desprio, are both construction workers. He said that he had sprung into action without thinking after seeing the assailant and that it was only a result of his temporary excitement. We saw it coming, so we thought we should try to stop it, Damien Giroud said in an interview with Australian TV network Channel Seven on Sunday.
The attacker ran down the mall’s escalator after a fistfight with Damian. We probably tried to throw a bollard at him, but we couldn’t catch him,’ said Damien Giroud. After taking a chair, he ran to the lower floor behind Kachi. At the same time, a police officer who was chasing Kachi had reached there.
When he turned and tried to attack him with a knife, the police officer shot and killed the assailant. Police are now investigating how Kochi, from the state of Queensland, took such a violent path. Queensland Police have said he had been living a life of constant distraction for many years and was first diagnosed with mental illness at the age of 17.
New South Wales police said on Monday it appeared “clearly” that he had targeted women as five of the six people killed were women. The attack on one of the country’s largest and most popular shopping centers has shocked Australia, as such mass killings are rare in the country.
Flags have been flown half-mast across the country, opera house windows have been lit up to pay tribute to the victims, and mourners have flocked to Bondi Junction to leave flowers, teddy bears, and cards.
