A lone police officer was out in Bondi on Saturday. Later that afternoon she would shoot dead an armed man and save “a range of people’s lives”.

The woman, an inspector in the New South Wales Police Force, was the first officer to respond to the fatal stabbing of six people at Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday afternoon.

Now, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and others are describing her as a hero.

Witness says man was running at people with knife 

The incident began when the offender arrived at the shopping centre at about 3pm, police said. 

He left and returned about 20 minutes armed later with a knife.

A witness, who asked not to be identified, told the ABC he saw the man stabbing people “indiscriminately”.

Another witness, Rohan Anderson, who was at the centre at the time of the attack, said the man was “running towards different people” with a knife. 

“He was running up to them, or trying to … I don’t know what he was doing,” he told the ABC.

Five women and one man have died as a result of the stabbing rampage.

A nine-month-old baby is among the eight injured in hospital, according to NSW police. 

Offender raised knife at officer, police say

When the police officer arrived at the shopping centre she was directed by shoppers to the fifth floor. 

As she was walking quickly to catch up to the offender, he turned to face her and raised his knife, NSW Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke later said.

The officer fired her gun and the man, who police believe acted alone, died at the scene. 

NSW Assistant Commissioner Cooke said it unfolded very quickly. 

“She took the actions that she did, saving a range of people’s lives,” he said. 

Officer showed ‘enormous courage and bravery’

Mr Albanese commended the bravery the officer showed by entering such a dangerous situation alone and acting immediately to save others. 

“She is certainly a hero,” he said.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said the officer was “doing well under the circumstances” in the wake of the incident.

“She showed enormous courage and bravery,” Commissioner Webb said.