Lindt cafe hero cop breaks silence ahead of book launch

The man who killed the Lindt Cafe terrorist has spoken about the moment he came face-to-face with the killer who terrorised Sydney.

The man who apprehended and shot dead the Lindt cafe terrorist has spoken out about the moment he put an end to the horror which gripped Sydney in December, 2014.

Officer A, who remains anonymous, has spoken out for the first time about putting his life on the line to stop terrorist Man Monis, who had held 18 hostages for 17 hours.

‘Officer A’, who remains anonymous, said he has thought about the siege every day since it happened. Picture: 9 News

He’s speaking out about the horrific event ahead of the launch of his book tomorrow.

“The moment when we went in, we were completely convinced we were going to die to save a group of hostages we’d never met before,” Officer A told 9 News.

“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.”

Mr Johnson, 34, and Katrina Dawson, 38, lost their lives in the siege which took place in Sydney’s CBD on December 15, 2014.

“It’s a day I’ll never forget and I think about it every day,” he said.

The NSW Police Tactical Operations Unit which Officer A was a part of ran into the building as hostages were running out. Picture: Bill Hearne

Officers rushed in after Man Monis executed the cafe’s owner, before bomb squad officers moved in to check for explosives. Picture: Bill Hearne

He spoke about the horror of watching the hostages being held captive inside the cafe and the moments before he was sent in to deal with the threat.

“Seeing the distraught state they were all in because of one man’s actions, I felt an emotional attachment to them,” he said.

“I was texting my wife, getting her to send more pictures of my little girl, who I wholeheartedly believed I would never see again.”

Police were forced to move in after Monis executed cafe manager Mr Johnson.

NSW Police is opposed to the book Officer A has written, 9 News reported.

“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.

Ms Dawson was killed by shrapnel from a police bullet as officers stormed the building aiming for Monis.

Officer A has spoken out about that day ahead of the launch of a book he wrote about the tragedy titled “Tiger, Tiger, Tiger”.

He says he wrote it as a part of therapy for his PTSD, something he says needs more support from NSW Police.

“I believe the police force needs to do a lot more in this area,” he said.

Originally published as Lindt cafe hero cop breaks silence ahead of book launch