Hostage tells inquest ‘cops saved my life’



A HOSTAGE said “man, those cops saved my life” after police shot dead the robber who was holding a pistol at his head, an inquest has been told.


Bar manager Ninos Shlaimon said two officers, with their guns drawn, were outside the hotel as he was being marched out as a human shield for the robber.

He said he yelled out “Don’t shoot, don’t shoot” and waved his arms in front of his face, as the robber yelled and police shouted back at him to drop the weapon.

“Everyone was screaming at each other and it just happened,” he told Glebe Coroner’s Court today.

He said he heard two gunshots simultaneously then felt the robber’s weight coming off his shoulders before they both dropped to the ground.

“I didn’t look back, I just ran,” he said.

Mr Shlaimon was giving evidence at the inquest into the death of David Taufahema, 18, who was shot once by a police officer in the early hours of September 1, 2009, at a Canley Vale hotel in Sydney’s west.

The inquest has heard Taufahema and a juvenile had held up the hotel but when they realised police were outside, Taufahema grabbed Mr Shlaimon and marched him towards the door with a pistol pointed at his head.

Mr Shlaimon agreed that after the shooting he had said “Man, those cops saved my life”.

The inquest is continuing.

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