It seems every major crime, every attack, from mass shootings to terror attacks (there's a lot of overlap there), produces some tales of heroism, and some of cowardice. The recent Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack in Australia, perpetrated by two Muslim immigrants against a gathering of Jewish holiday celebrants, has managed to do this in one story.
Vanessa Miller is a survivor of the Bondi Beach massacre. She was there, with law enforcement officers in her immediate area - and boy, does she have a few things to say about those law enforcement officers. Watch:
SHOCKING: Bondi survivor Vanessa Miller was separated from her three-year-old daughter and pinned down by gunfire. She told @Erin_Molan that she tried to grab the gun of a critically injured officer to suppress the terrorists, but other officers—rather than returning fire… https://t.co/uaYlh3hQmU pic.twitter.com/CfVdR8fvAj
— Saul Sadka (@Saul_Sadka) December 17, 2025
Vanessa Miller says:
The police officers were hiding behind a car. I tried to grab one of their guns, then one of them grabbed me and said "no." I'm trying to grab for his gun. These men these police officers, they know who I am, and I hope they're hearing this. You are weak. You could have saved so many people's lives. They were just standing there, listening and watching this all happen. Holding me back. Two police officers - where were the others? Not there. Nobody was there. Everyone, the public, helped. Nobody else. My little three-year-old was saved by a pregnant woman, who saw her crying and screaming, "Mummy, Daddy." We were there. There was not... How long did it take for police to come? How long did it take? Everyone was too scared.
Granted, hindsight is always 20-20. Granted, grabbing a cop's weapon is rarely the right thing to do. But what is a citizen supposed to do when their child is in danger, when the police are taking no action? Desperation breeds desperate acts. And what wouldn't a mother do if her child were threatened? I remember my own mother, after such an event, had an opinion on her likely reaction; Mom was a gentle, grandmotherly sort, but she opined that if her children were endangered, she could "stack bodies up like cordwood." And Mom was a pretty good pistol shot.
Read More: True Hero: Holocaust Survivor Shields Wife in Australia Terror Attack at Hanukkah Celebration
I'll be honest: I've never worked in law enforcement. I was once a soldier, though. And there is one thing that soldiers and police officers should have in common: Protecting the citizens. Preserving the lives, liberty, and property of the citizens. In cases like this, sometimes that means taking great personal risks. In cases like this, sometimes that means running towards gunfire, not away from it; engaging, not hiding. That's the job. That's the oath. That's the duty.
It will be a while before we know all the details of this horrible event. People are still speaking out. Australia is going to have to take a long, hard look at its immigration policies. Sydney law enforcement is going to have to take a long, hard look at some of their officers and how they were trained. And the world should look at this and realize that it could happen anywhere, at any time.
Fortunately, here in the United States, we citizens have an advantage that no other country in the world possesses. We should remember that, as well.
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy RedState's conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join RedState's VIP program and use the promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership!
Join the conversation as a VIP Member