'Bittersweet': Bravery awards for 'incredibly brave' mosque shooting heroes

Wednesday, 15 December 2021

Wayne Maley has received a New Zealand Bravery Medal for his actions that helped save people during the March 15 terror attack in Christchurch.

Naeem Rashid’s fatal attempt to overpower the Christchurch mosque terrorist on March 15, 2019, has been recognised with New Zealand’s highest bravery award.

He is one of 10 people who have been honoured with an array of bravery awards for their courage and selflessness at two mosques when a terrorist caused the deaths of 51 people and injured 40 others.

New Zealand’s highest award, the New Zealand Cross, which is the bravery equivalent of the Victoria Cross for New Zealand for gallantry, has been awarded to Rashid (posthumous) and Linwood Islamic Centre hero Abdul Aziz.

Rashid’s wife, Ambreem Naeem, said in a statement she was grateful for the award. Her husband was brave and kind, she said.

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Naeem Rashid has been posthumously awarded New Zealand’s highest bravery award.

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Abdul Aziz (second from left) outside the Christchurch justice precinct for the final day of the terrorist's sentencing.

“Throughout his life he always put other people before himself. On March 15, in those difficult circumstances, he tackled hate. This award is for every peace-loving person who stands against hate. It’s a very emotional time for me, my sons and family. [We] are very proud of him.”

Rashid and his son Tahla were at the Masjid An-Nur (Al Noor Mosque) on Deans Ave just before 1.40pm when a lone gunman, armed with semi-automatic shotguns and assault rifles, entered and started shooting.

Liam Beale was one of the first people at the Masjid An-Nur on Deans Ave when the terror attack happened.

Rashid ran to the side of a room where a large part of the congregation was trying to escape through a small window and door. Rashid, who was at the back of the group, turned and ran at the terrorist as he fired at the group and was hit in the shoulder.

He collided with the terrorist, grabbing him and knocking him to the floor. The terrorist regained his feet and fatally shot Rashid, but due to Rashid’s actions, at least seven people were able to escape while the gunman was diverted. Tahla was also killed.

Senior Constable Scott Carmody, pictured with The Duke of Cambridge Prince William, arrested the Christchurch mosque shootings terrorist alongside his colleague, Senior Constable Jim Manning.

“In a situation of extreme danger, Dr Rashid displayed great courage and bravery in challenging the gunman, with complete disregard for his own safety. In so doing, he selflessly enabled others to escape, at the cost of his own life. Without Dr Rashid’s brave actions, the loss of life would have been even greater,” the citation said.

Aziz was at afternoon prayers at the Linwood Islamic Centre on Linwood Ave with his four sons aged between 6 and 19 when the gunman attacked.

Senior Constable Jim Manning, pictured with The Duke of Cambridge Prince William, arrested the Christchurch mosque shootings terrorist alongside his colleague, Senior Constable Scott Carmody.

He went to the mosque’s door to investigate gunshots and saw the terrorist. He grabbed an eftpos machine and ran after the terrorist. As three shots were fired at him, Aziz ducked between parked cars and picked up the terrorist’s discarded lever-action rifle. He then knew the terrorist had a new firearm.

Hearing more shots from inside the mosque, Aziz took the discarded rifle and went towards the front of the mosque, yelling to get the terrorist's attention. When the terrorist saw Aziz with the rifle, he dropped his gun and ran to his car. Aziz ran after him and threw the rifle into the back window of the car as the terrorist drove off.

“The situation in which Mr Aziz found himself was extremely dangerous. In challenging the gunman he displayed great courage and bravery, and complete disregard for his own safety. Mr Aziz’s brave actions deterred the gunman from re-entering this mosque to kill and maim others and ultimately forced the gunman to flee,” the citation said.

Christchurch Senior Constables Jim Manning, left, and Scott Carmody received the New Zealand Bravery Decoration for their actions on March 15, 2019.

Aziz did not want to be approached by media.

The New Zealand Bravery Decoration was awarded to Liam Christiaan Armand Beale, Senior Constable Scott Eric Carmody, Senior Constable James Andrew (Jim) Manning and Ziyaad Shah.

Beale, who has first aid qualifications, was in his car in Deans Ave when he heard shots and saw a man fall to the ground. He moved the wounded man to a spot between cars, and bandaged his wounds.

All Blacks Rugby Star Sonny Bill Williams speaks to Ziyaad Shah, a survivor of the shootings at Al Noor mosque, during a visit to Christchurch Hospital on March 23, 2019.

He then went to other victims, gave first aid and moved those who were exposed. Finding a young girl with gunshot wounds on the footpath, he got more bandages from his car and returned to help her. He picked her up and carried her to a group of other helpers. As ambulances were being kept out of the area because of security concerns, Beale helped load victims onto a ute and then remained to help police and victims.

“Mr Beale placed his own life at risk, bravely searching for victims, assisting them and moving them to safety, while the gunman was active in the area,” the citation said.

Lance Bradford turned ambulance driver on the day of the mosque shootings.

Senior Constables Scott Carmody and Jim Manning were at a firearms training exercise day in Christchurch when they switched to finding the terrorist. Armed with police-issue weapons, they decided to check a possible exit from the city the terrorist could use.

The officers spotted the terrorist's vehicle and intentionally crashed into it, jamming the police vehicle against the terrorist's car door. Carmody quickly went to the rear passenger side of the terrorist’s car with his weapon pointed at the terrorist.

Wayne Maley stayed with a dying victim of the mosque terrorist.

Manning covered the terrorist from the front of the patrol car and then dragged him from the car as Carmody stood ready to shoot. The constables handcuffed him.

Both officers said they were humbled to receive their awards.

“Receiving this honour is a huge privilege but any police officer in that situation would have done the same thing,” Senior Constable Manning said in a statement.

The New Zealand Bravery Awards are designed to recognise the actions of those who save or attempt to save the life of another person while putting their own safety or life at risk.

Carmody said the pair wanted to acknowledge the victims of the attacks as well as their colleagues who were also working that day.

“The victims and their loved ones will always be front of mind for us. And there were many, many people involved in the response including many of our fellow police officers.

“This award really is for every one of our colleagues involved in that response. All of them were prepared to put themselves in harm’s way and it could have been any one of them that came across that car on that day.”

Shah was at prayers at Masjid An-Nur when he heard a series of gunshots and became aware of people moving towards him. He grabbed the man next to him and rolled to his left, shielding the other man with his body. As the terrorist continued shooting, Shah was shot twice. He pretended to be dead, and told the shielded man to remain calm and do the same. He continued to lie on top of him, as the terrorist walked around shooting.

“Mr Shah’s selfless actions in protecting his fellow worshipper demonstrated exceptional bravery,” the citation said.

The New Zealand Bravery Medal was awarded to Lance Henry Bradford, Wayne Maley, Mark Garry Miller and Michael James Robinson

During the attack on the Masjid An-Nur, Bradford was driving his utility vehicle along Deans Ave. He saw eight to 10 people lying on the ground in distress, so stopped and began to walk back towards the mosque.

He could hear gunshots and people screaming, and stopped people who were seemingly unaware of the unfolding situation from going towards the mosque. He found a man and a young girl who had both been shot. He reversed his vehicle to where they were and helped load the pair into the vehicle, along with another man who had been shot in the leg. He then drove them to Christchurch Hospital.

Maley and a colleague were in a large utility vehicle driving along Deans Ave at the time of the shooting. They saw the terrorist firing a weapon and people falling over in the grounds of the mosque. As they continued along the road, they could see people being shot on the footpath. Maley used the vehicle to block access to the area. He assisted several of the wounded victims on the road and helped load four victims onto a vehicle.

Miller and a colleague were also driving along Deans Ave while the terrorist was at the mosque.They saw five to eight people being shot and falling to the ground. Miller ran towards the first victim he saw. He crawled between cars onto the footpath and tried to move the man, but couldn't. He stayed with him and saw the terrorist moving towards the mosque and out of sight, before hearing more shots being fired.

Another man approached Miller and helped move the wounded man onto his side. Together they administered first aid to the gunshot wound on the man’s back. Miller stayed with the man until he died a short time later. Miller moved to help lift another victim onto a gurney and load him into an ambulance.

Robinson and a colleague saw the terrorist firing a weapon and people falling over in the grounds of the mosque. They went to help and Robinson pulled a gunshot victim to shelter between parked cars. He then went as close to the mosque as he could but found no further victims and returned to the others. He stayed to assist.

Beale, who manufactures computer numerical control machines and is now 27, said getting the bravery citation was “bittersweet”.

“It's quite cool, it's surreal too. I've had a letter from the prime minister and a letter from the governor-general stating that the Queen herself has signed off on the award … the whole experience still doesn't quite feel real… It can swing both ways – being quite chuffed and right through to the other side of feeling upset that this stuff happened in the first place.”

Beale said he had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and was learning to deal with certain triggers that gave him panic attacks and anxiety. Helping the victims on the street while gunshots were being fired had initially been “absolutely terrifying”, he said.

'But it really quickly kind of changed to an acceptance that there was a very real possibility that I could not walk away from this, and then it was a well anything I do from this point onwards is kind of legacy and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't do anything.”

It hadn’t put him off helping in future emergencies and, since the shootings, he had come across “a fair share” of car crashes. “I'm prepared to stop and make sure that everybody's alright.”

He had remained in contact with members of the Muslim community and with fellow first responders.

“I've been welcomed with open arms by the [Muslim] community, and I've been back to Al Noor a few times.”

When people said he was “incredibly brave and heroic” he said: “I was in a place at a time. For the people that were injured it was a good place at a good time for me to be there. For me, probably not so good a place or time, but it was a place and a time.”

Robinson said in a supplied statement that March 15 was the darkest day he had ever faced.

He had thought deeply about whether he should accept the award, he said.

“I have decided to accept this not for my actions that day but for the people that didn’t survive and for those that did. I do not consider myself a hero. Just an average Joe, who happened to be in the wrong place at the right time or the right place at the wrong time, whichever way you choose to look at it. It is a day that will always haunt me, a day I wish I never have to go through again.”

Maley said he felt quite proud.

“Hopefully, a lot of New Zealanders like me would do the same thing. I just wanted to help people.”

* The New Zealand Cross is for acts of great bravery in situations of extreme danger. The Bravery Star is for acts of outstanding behaviour in situations of danger. The Bravery Decoration is for acts of outstanding bravery in situation of danger. The Bravery Medal is for acts of bravery.

* Anyone can nominate anyone for a New Zealand bravery award. Nominations are assessed by a committee of senior officials with experience in dangerous situations. The committee makes recommendations to the prime minister. The awards are all medals.