Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert was among the officers on duty at the Hanukkah by the Sea event
A young New South Wales police officer has lost the sight in one eye after being shot during the shocking
terror attack at Bondi Beach, authorities and his family say.
Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert, just 22 years old and in the force for only four months, was among the officers on duty at the Hanukkah by the Sea event when father and son gunmen opened fire on crowds on Sunday.
Hibbert was shot twice—once in the head and once in the shoulder—as he tried to confront the attackers, according to RNZ news. He was rushed into intensive care and underwent multiple surgeries.
“Although miraculously surviving, Jack’s injuries have resulted in a loss of vision in one of his eyes, and he now faces a long and challenging recovery ahead, with additional surgeries required,” the family said, quoted RNZ.
The statement went beyond just listing his injuries.
“Even so, in the face of a violent and tragic incident, he responded with courage, instinct, and selflessness, continuing to protect and help others whilst injured, until he was physically no longer able to,” the family added. “Jack was simply doing his job, driven by a commitment to protect the community, even at great personal cost.”
Hibbert is one of two officers wounded that day. The other, Constable Scott Dyson, remains in hospital recovering from serious injuries sustained in the same attack.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has visited both men in hospital, offering support and pledging that they will be cared for throughout their recovery.
The Bondi Beach shooting, which has since been treated as a terrorist act, killed at least 15 people and left scores more injured.
Naveed Akram, one of the gunmen, charged with 59 offences
Naveed Akram, 24, one of the suspected shooters in Sydney’s Bondi Beach massacre, was hit with 59 charges on Wednesday, including 15 counts of murder, as hundreds of mourners gathered to begin funerals for the victims.
The charges came after Naveed woke from a coma in a Sydney hospital, where he has been since police shot him and his father during the attack. His 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, died at the scene, according to the Associated Press.
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