Good Samaritan Hassan Rizk stabbed trying to stop Sydney crime rampage
The father of a Good Samaritan stabbed when he tried to stop yesterday’s crime rampage that ended with a man dead on an Arncliffe street says he’s not surprised by his son’s bravery.
The father of a Good Samaritan stabbed when he tried to stop a dangerous crime rampage is not surprised by his son’s actions as he was taught to help people regardless of their circumstances.
Hassan Rizk had finished his daily gym session at Fitness First in Rockdale in Sydney’s south on Friday afternoon when he walked into dangerous situation unfolding on the street outside.
Aymen Fakah, 24, was in the middle of West Botany St armed with a knife and attempting a car jacking about 3.10pm.
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He had brought traffic to a standstill when Mr Rizk, also 24, started walking towards him in an attempt to calm him down.
Fakah then stabbed Mr Rizk in the abdomen before forcing a 54-year-old taxi driver from his cab and stealing the car.
Mr Rizk, a plumber from Bexley, was left lying on the road while bystanders tried to stem his blood loss.
He was rushed to St George Hospital and underwent emergency surgery on Friday night.
He remained in a serious but stable condition in the intensive care unit on Saturday morning, a hospital spokeswoman confirmed.
Mr Rizk’s father, Ali Rizk, said his son was expected to undergo another operation on Saturday for a blood vessel tear on his liver.
While acknowledging his son’s brave actions, Mr Rizk Snr said he was focused on his recovery.
“I brought (my children) up in a good way and taught them to helppeople regardless of race or what country they came from,” he said
after visiting his son in hospital on Saturday.
After stabbing Mr Rizk and fleeing in the stolen taxi, Fakah sped off and a police helicopter hovering above followed him to Arncliffe.
At 3:30pm on Forest Road, Fakah got out of the car and police officers with their tasers drawn confronted him.
Fakah then stabbed himself in the chest and collapsed on the road. Police performed CPR but he died at the scene.
Fakah’s trail of destruction started earlier in the day at Bass Hill when police noticed he was driving a 4WD without number plates just
before 3pm.
The 4WD rammed a police car before stopping at Chullora, where Fakah dumped the car and stole a small Woolworths delivery truck from
Waterloo Road.
Fakah managed to drive through several suburbs on Roberts Road and King Georges Road, hitting cars along the way.
He came to a stop in Rockdale and tried to car jack several vehicles when Mr Rizk confronted him and was stabbed.
There was confusion and tense scenes at St George Hospital on Friday evening when Fakah’s family turned up believing he was there.
When they found out he had died, emotions ran high and the Public Order and Riot Squad turned up.
Mr Rizk Snr said he felt sorry for the family’s loss and questioned how Fakah was able to continue driving for more than half an hour.
“I don’t know what the police excuses were or what their situation was but it could’ve been avoided,” he said.
A critical incident investigation is underway to look closely at how police responded to the entire ordeal.
On Friday Acting Assistant Commissioner Mick Fitzgerald said Fakah was known to police and had a mental health background.
“He was a man who was attempting to do everything he could to avoid arrest,” he said.
“When he stabbed the innocent person (this) was the action of a person who we believe had mental health problems.”
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