A few minutes long video circulating on the internet reveals a remarkable act of bravery during the recent shooting at Charles University's Faculty of Philosophy in Prague.
According to Czech media, the footage, which we choose not to share to avoid promoting the shooter's heinous acts, captured an extraordinary moment of personal courage from one of the responding police officers.
As the gunman fired from the roof of the university building towards Jan Palach Square, this officer, without regard for his own safety, drew the shooter's attention to himself.
By shouting and making himself visible, he forced the gunman to turn his weapon towards him instead of the civilians. This act of exemplary heroism undoubtedly saved many lives.
"Hey You!"
The video, believed to be from one of the first police patrols to arrive at the scene, showed the law enforcement officers' courage in the face of danger. Despite the shooter having a more destructive weapon and better optics, they chose to confront him. While the gunman was on the balcony under the roof and shielded by a stone railing, one of the officers on the ground decided to risk his life to divert the shooter's focus towards him. As the murderer managed to fire a shot, the officer stood up, waved, and shouted,
"Hey, you! Shoot at me! Hey, I'm here!"
His call worked, and the shooter began firing at the police officers who were taking cover below.
"What are you doing?" another officer at the scene shouted to the hero. "What would I be doing, damn it. There are people everywhere," the uniformed hero added in the video. They then discussed that the best course of action would be to neutralize the shooter from their position. Unfortunately, they only had handguns and could not effectively return fire. At that moment, however, they did the best they could. They delayed him long enough to prevent further loss of life and allowed their better-armed colleagues to deal with the shooter.
All involved officers deserve commendation for their bravery and sacrifice. Their selflessness and quick thinking in such a critical situation highlight the extraordinary courage and dedication of those who serve to protect the public.
