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Ahmed Al-Ahmed, the 44-year-old Sydney man celebrated for disarming a gunman during the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, has been charged with domestic assault.
Ahmed is accused of assaulting his father during a domestic incident at a home in Bankstown, in Sydney's southwest. According to The Guardian, the specific allegation involves Ahmed putting his father in a headlock on March 9.
New South Wales Police confirmed that Ahmed was formally served with a Court Attendance Notice charging him with common assault (domestic violence) and stalking or intimidating with intent to cause fear of physical harm.
When contacted by the ABC, Ahmed strongly denied the allegations. "It's fake information … it's not true at all," he told the national broadcaster.
Ahmed added that he had no knowledge of the matter and stated that his primary focus remains on his recovery, noting that he has further surgeries scheduled to address injuries he sustained during the December 14 terror attack.
While the Australian police does not officially identify individuals charged with crimes to the media, NSW Police did confirm the timeline of the investigation to the agency, stating they received an initial report of the assault on March 15.
The charges stand in stark contrast to the national acclaim Ahmed received following the December 14 mass shooting at a Hanukkah event, which authorities described as an antisemitic terrorist attack that left 15 people dead.
Video footage captured Ahmed wrestling a rifle away from the gunman, Sajid Akram, who was subsequently shot dead by police.
Ahmed was shot multiple times during the altercation and required extensive medical intervention.
Following his actions, Ahmed was hailed as a savior by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns, both of whom visited him in the hospital.
He was awarded the Keys to the City of Canterbury-Bankstown and Waverley, and was later honored with a standing ovation by a sold-out crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground during the final Ashes Test match.
The domestic violence charges are not the only legal complications surrounding the Ahmed family since the tragedy.
Public goodwill following the attack resulted in massive crowdfunding campaigns for his medical recovery, with a fundraiser exceeding $1 million and a total estimation reaching over $3 million.
However, this influx of wealth led to immediate internal conflict. Just last month, Ahmed's two brothers appeared in a Sydney court following allegations that they had attempted to unlawfully pressure him into handing over a portion of the donation money.
Meanwhile, legal proceedings are unfolding from the Bondi Beach massacre, with the gunman's surviving son, Naveed Akram, remaining remanded in custody on 59 criminal counts
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