Police who responded to an alleged attempted armed hold up in Bega last week are being labeled as heroes.
The officers forced to disarm a man accused of holding a knife to a female employee inside the Commonwealth Bank branch on Carp Street.
Police Minister Yasmin Catley is full of praise for the way they dealt with the situation.
“I want to personally congratulate the police officers involved in Friday’s incident at a bank in Bega,” Minister Catley said.
“Police entered, the man allegedly had a knife held to a 58-year-old female employee and was making threats. Officers engaged with the man verbally before deploying a taser to bring the situation under control and arrest him, without anyone being seriously injured,” she said.
“I cannot overstate how dangerous this situation was, or how grateful I am for the courage, skill and professionalism shown by these officers.
“A woman went to work on Friday expecting an ordinary day. Instead, she found herself in a situation no one should ever have to experience. And when she needed help, the police were there.
“These officers walked into an extraordinarily dangerous situation and had to make decisions under enormous pressure, knowing someone’s life was potentially at stake.
“Our police train extensively for these moments, but it takes remarkable courage and sound judgement to put that training into practice when the stakes are so high.
“There are thousands of extraordinary men and women serving in the NSW Police Force, and on Friday, the people of Bega saw exactly why we should be so proud of them.
“I cannot thank these officers enough for their actions. They are a credit to the NSW Police Force and an example of the extraordinary work our police do every day to keep the community safe.”
38-year-old Matthew John Scott was refused bail in court on Saturday morning. He’ll appear in Batemans Bay Local Court on Monday October 26.
