Share and Follow
On the eighth anniversary today, the man known as officer A is telling his story for the first time, releasing a book called Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! The Lindt Cafe Siege.
Officer A, who remains anonymous, told 9News reporter Damian Ryan he still thinks about the siege every day.
“The moment when we went in, we were completely convinced we were going to die,” Officer A said.
“I knew from the moment I heard Tori Johnson had been executed, there was only one thing to be done and that was to make entry to save as many hostages as we could.”
Officer A described how police pushed forward to the first window to observe the hostages.
“Seeing the distraught state they were all in because of one man’s actions, I felt emotional attachment to them,” he said.
“I was texting my wife getting her to send more pictures of my little girl who I whole-heartedly believed I would never see again.”
Read Related Also: Five arrested over deadly US mall shooting
It was the execution of cafe manager Tori Johnson, which forced police to storm the cafe, leading to Officer A killing the gunman.
“We locked eyes… I engaged and shot the terrorist and there is a lot that occurred after that as well that I don’t stop thinking about,” he said.
Dawson was fatally wounded by shrapnel from a police gun.
9News understands NSW Police had been opposed to the book and banned officers from his old unit from attending today’s book launch.
Officer A left the NSW Police after a knee injury and due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which he developed following the siege.
He wrote the book as therapy for his PTSD, which he believes emergency services need to consider more for their support and training.
“I believe the police force need to do a lot more in this area,” he said.
