Bondi Beach terror attack hero Ahmed Al Ahmed has been charged

A guy who was widely praised for his courage during a deadly attack in Sydney is now facing legal problems of his own after being charged because of a rumored home fight. Ahmed Al Ahmed became known around the world after his actions during a mass shooting at a Jewish community party in Bondi Beach in December. The attack left 15 people dead and many more hurt, but many thanked Al Ahmed for helping stop an even bigger disaster when he fought and took the gun from the shooter…Now, months after being called a hero, the 44-year-old is facing crime charges. According to police, a probe was started following claims about a home fight at a house in Bankstown, an area in western Sydney. Law enforcement claims that Al Ahmed put his dad in a headlock during the fight. New South Wales Police confirmed that officers from Bankstown Police Area Command started looking into the matter before giving out charges. In a statement, police said a 44-year-old man was given a Court Attendance Notice for normal assault involving home violence as well as a charge of stalking or scaring another person with the goal to cause fear of physical or mental harm. Police have also gotten a protective order to keep Al Ahmed’s dad safe. The case is set to be heard at Bankstown Local Court on July 29. Al Ahmed has strongly denied the claims. Talking to ABC, he called the claims fake and said he had no knowledge of the rumored fight. “It’s fake information … it’s not true at all,” he said. “I don’t have any information at all.” The charges have brought attention because of Al Ahmed’s widely known actions during the December attack that shocked Australia. On December 14, a shooter opened fire on people going to a Hanukkah party near Bondi Beach. Mess broke out as families, kids, and community members tried to run from the spot. During the attack, Al Ahmed, a Syrian-American living in Australia, stepped in and fought the shooter. Clips filmed by people nearby quickly spread across social media, showing him tackling and taking the gun from the shooter despite the danger to his own life. The video earned massive praise, with many calling him a hero whose actions may have stopped more deaths and wounds. In the middle of fighting the shooter, Al Ahmed got bad injuries. He was shot twice and later had surgery while doctors worked to fix his condition. As news of his courage spread, help came in from around the globe. Social media star Zachery Dereniowski helped set up a money campaign through GoFundMe to help Al Ahmed during his healing and to honor his actions during the attack. The campaign brought in big attention and raised millions of dollars. In one widely shared minute, Dereniowski visited Al Ahmed in the hospital and surprised him with a fake check showing more than $2.5 million in gifts given by helpers. Speaking from his hospital bed at the time, Al Ahmed said he acted on instinct because he could not watch while innocent people were being attacked. “When I do save the people, I do it from the heart because it was a nice day, everyone was enjoying, partying with their kids,” he said. “Woman, man, teen, all of this, everyone was happy and they deserve to enjoy and it’s their right.” He also shared his thanks for Australia and spoke about the importance of standing up against violence. “This country, best country in the world, but we’re not going to stand and keep watching, enough is enough,” he added. The new charges do not connect to the Bondi Beach attack or Al Ahmed’s actions during that event. As with any crime matter, the claims remain before the courts, and Al Ahmed is thought to be innocent unless proven guilty. The case is expected to get big public attention given his famous status following the December disaster and the wide praise he got for his actions that day. For now, Al Ahmed keeps denying any wrongdoing as he gets ready to face the claims in court later this summer.