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'We locked eyes': Officer who shot Lindt Cafe terrorist tells story for first time on eighth anniversary of siege

By Lucy Slade -
The officer who killed the Lindt Cafe terrorist in 2014 has now told his compelling story after years of silence.

The officer who killed the Lindt Cafe terrorist says he "locked eyes" with the gunman in the moments before he shot him to end the siege.

Café manager Tori Johnson, 34, and barrister Katrina Dawson, 38, were among 18 hostages taken by gunman Man Haron Monis at the Lindt Cafe in Sydney's CBD on December 15, 2014.

On the eighth anniversary today, the man known as officer A is telling his story for the first time, releasing a book called Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! The Lindt Cafe Siege.

READ MORE: Officer sent goodbye text to loved ones during shooting

The man who shot the Lindt Cafe terrorist sits down with 9News reporter Damien Ryan. (Nine)

Officer A, who remains anonymous, told 9News reporter Damian Ryan he still thinks about the siege every day.

"The moment when we went in, we were completely convinced we were going to die," Officer A said.

"I knew from the moment I heard Tori Johnson had been executed, there was only one thing to be done and that was to make entry to save as many hostages as we could."

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Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson, the victims of the Lindt café siege in 2014. (Supplied)

Officer A described how police pushed forward to the first window to observe the hostages.

"Seeing the distraught state they were all in because of one man's actions, I felt emotional attachment to them," he said.

"I was texting my wife getting her to send more pictures of my little girl who I whole-heartedly believed I would never see again."

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It was the execution of cafe manager Tori Johnson, which forced police to storm the cafe, leading to Officer A killing the gunman.

"We locked eyes... I engaged and shot the terrorist and there is a lot that occurred after that as well that I don't stop thinking about," he said.

Hostage Elly Chen runs from the Lindt Cafe seige. (AAP)

Dawson was fatally wounded by shrapnel from a police gun.

9News understands NSW Police had been opposed to the book and banned officers from his old unit from attending today's book launch.

Officer A left the NSW Police after a knee injury and due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which he developed following the siege.

He wrote the book as therapy for his PTSD, which he believes emergency services need to consider more for their support and training.

"I believe the police force need to do a lot more in this area," he said.

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