A shopper, who was not named, told ABC News of the moment he was shot: “He just started floating towards us and all I heard was ‘put it down’ and then she shot him.

“But we were in no doubt if she didn’t shoot him, he would have kept going. He was on the rampage. He looked like he was on a killing spree.”

The shopper added: “Then she walked over and gave him CPR. He had a big blade on him – she chucked the knife away.”

The police officer, who has not been named, was “enormously courageous, as were other police officers that attended,” Karen Webb, New South Wales police commissioner told reporters.

“It was an awful situation…but it could have been much worse.”

The officer “is okay, her family is okay and she’s got everything she needs for the time being”, added Ms Webb.