The New South Wales premier has rejected criticism of the police response to the attack on a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach, saying officers acted with bravery and integrity.
Some witnesses have suggested police were too slow to disarm the two gunmen, who killed 15 people and injured dozens in Australia's most famous beach on Sunday.
There are two officers in critical care... at the moment, Chris Minns said after sustained questioning from reporters. They weren't shot in the back as they were running away. They were shot in the front.
The gunmen went on a shooting spree that lasted around ten minutes before police shot both men, killing one and critically injuring the other.
There have also been questions about whether adequate security was provided before the shooting took place.
They shoot, shoot, change magazine and just shoot, one witness, Shmulik Scuri, told reporters the day of the assault, adding he thought officers froze.
Asked about these criticisms, Minns said the rush to conclusions about the police operation was disrespectful.
They didn't take a backward step. They engaged the gunmen on the footbridge with handguns. The offenders had long range rifles, Minns said.
If there's any suggestion that NSW Police didn't live up to their responsibilities to the people of this state, it should be rejected because it's not consistent with the facts.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon avoided questions about how many officers had been deployed to police the event in advance. He told reporters police regularly patrol that area as we did on that day and that police presence was based on the threat that exists at the time.
Australia's security agency has said the younger alleged gunman in the father-son duo, Naveed Akram, had come to their attention in 2019 due to his associations, but that there was nothing to suggest he was a risk of violence.
Dr. Vincent Hurley, a former police officer who lectures on policing at Macquarie University, told the BBC it was unrealistic to expect police to be able to know how to react to every possible scenario, particularly in a chaotic environment like the shooting incident.
Some witnesses have suggested police were too slow to disarm the two gunmen, who killed 15 people and injured dozens in Australia's most famous beach on Sunday.
There are two officers in critical care... at the moment, Chris Minns said after sustained questioning from reporters. They weren't shot in the back as they were running away. They were shot in the front.
The gunmen went on a shooting spree that lasted around ten minutes before police shot both men, killing one and critically injuring the other.
There have also been questions about whether adequate security was provided before the shooting took place.
They shoot, shoot, change magazine and just shoot, one witness, Shmulik Scuri, told reporters the day of the assault, adding he thought officers froze.
Asked about these criticisms, Minns said the rush to conclusions about the police operation was disrespectful.
They didn't take a backward step. They engaged the gunmen on the footbridge with handguns. The offenders had long range rifles, Minns said.
If there's any suggestion that NSW Police didn't live up to their responsibilities to the people of this state, it should be rejected because it's not consistent with the facts.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon avoided questions about how many officers had been deployed to police the event in advance. He told reporters police regularly patrol that area as we did on that day and that police presence was based on the threat that exists at the time.
Australia's security agency has said the younger alleged gunman in the father-son duo, Naveed Akram, had come to their attention in 2019 due to his associations, but that there was nothing to suggest he was a risk of violence.
Dr. Vincent Hurley, a former police officer who lectures on policing at Macquarie University, told the BBC it was unrealistic to expect police to be able to know how to react to every possible scenario, particularly in a chaotic environment like the shooting incident.
