Stabbed cop critical
Child sex offender shot dead
A SENIOR detective was last night fighting for his life in hospital and a man was shot dead after the arrest of a child sex offender turned fatal at a Sydney hotel.
The officer, 50, believed to have been operating undercover, was rushed to St Vincent’s Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery after he was stabbed twice in the torso and kidneys.
His 33-year-old attacker, Nick Newman, who was facing child sex offences, was shot dead by the officer’s partner.
The wounded detective sergeant and his partner, from a specialist command, were at the Maroubra Junction Hotel about 3pm to arrest Newman, 33, from Sydney’s west.
It is understood Newman had been due to front Penrith Local Court on Wednesday, and police had issued an arrest warrant for him after he failed to show up. Another man was taken away by police in handcuffs yesterday.
Horrified locals who witnessed the scenes reported hearing “four or five shots”.
Tasso Sigrimis, 32, said he was walking past the pub with his partner at the time.
“We heard arguing and then we heard shots and saw someone coming out with blood on them. It was at least four or five shots and we just ran for our lives.”
The police officer from State Crime Command was said to be in a critical condition last night.
Police have been investigating an alleged child pornography ring in the Maroubra area in recent months, but it is not known if this arrest was linked.
Police have launched a critical incident investigation, which is headed by the Homicide Squad.
One man said he saw the injured officer and “blood everywhere”.
“I reckon (there was) about four, five shots, easy, ‘bang, bang, bang, bang, bang’.”