It comes as the guard, a 26-year-old from Hampton Park, spoke about his ordeal for the first time and publicly thanked the policeman. Security guard Shadi. Credit:Victoria Police Shadi, who does not want his surname published, was working at the City Village building at 225 Bourke Street when he saw a car on fire. "Thought that was innocent people in the vehicle. I tried to go to assist then I realised that, I don't know what was going on," he said. "There was a loud explosion and everyone was screaming and running and then, out of nowhere, I got attacked."

Shadi said his main concern was to make sure Shire Ali didn't attack more civilians, but Shadi himself was hit. "Out of nowhere...he straight away stabbed me, tried to kill me, he hit me in the neck," he said. "I tried to defend the attacker off but I couldn’t defend myself any more, there was too much blood; I couldn’t physically see outside the left side of my eye. Shadi ran, with Shire Ali giving chase, into the City Duty Free store. Shadi was stabbed again near the back of his head. "I'm very lucky to be alive, that's all I can say," Shadi said.

"Mum went crazy over the phone, started crying, typical what a mother would do when her son gets hurt." Shadi's injuries. Credit:Victoria Police Lord Mayor Sally Capp said Shadi showed "incredible bravery" and, after he managed to get away, he came back out onto the street to provide direction to other people. "Despite his own injuries, he put his life on the line to help and protect others during this terrifying and tragic event," the Lord Mayor said. Hassan Khalif Shire Ali raises his arm to stab the security guard. Credit:Nine News

Shire Ali fatally stabbed the much-loved owner of Pellegrini's Espresso Bar, Sisto Malaspina, and then wounded Tasmanian businessman Rodney Patterson, before attacking Shadi. The policeman who helped Shadi was at the scene with his partner in less than a minute and was unaware at that stage they were responding to a terrorist attack. They were confronted by the knife-wielding Shire Ali, who turned his attention to the officers and lunged at them repeatedly, before the constable shot him once in the chest and then helped Shadi stemmed the bleeding from his neck. "The police officer, I don't know his name, but he was there with me holding my neck throughout the journey until we got to the Royal Melbourne," Shadi said. "I’d like to thank the police officer who assisted me. I want to thank him from the bottom of my heart."

Shire Ali later died on the operating table at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. The moment the rookie policeman shot Bourke Street terrorist Hassan Khalif Shire Ali. The constable is understood to be reluctant to be recognised for his actions, and at the request of Victoria Police, the identities of the responding officers have not been revealed. Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said the actions of the young officer were what policing was about. "This officer had every right, after what he had just been through, to take a minute to compose himself and think about his own wellbeing, but he didn't," Mr Gatt said.