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SYDNEY – A homeless man who struck a shopping cart against an attacker armed with a knife and who threatened the police is hailed and rewarded for his actions, but he insists that it's not not a hero.
Michael Rogers emerged from a crowd of onlookers during the Friday afternoon attack in downtown Melbourne, Australia, in which one person was fatally stabbed and two others injured.
Social media users have dubbed Rogers "Trolleyman" and an online fundraiser for him by the Melbourne Homeless Collective registered charity has raised more than $ 72,000 (AUD 100,000) Monday morning.
"Our hero is humble and has no idea of this fundraiser," reads the GoFundMe page. "He's great." We think his efforts deserve a reward that can really help him. "
In interviews with Australian media, Rogers, 46, claimed that he was not a hero. "I threw the cart directly at him and I got it. I did not quite go down, though. I'm not a hero, "he told Channel Seven.
He also told the Melbourne & Age newspaper that he himself was on the wrong side of the law. According to the newspaper, he had been in and out of prison for about 20 years, including a five-year sentence for burglary aggravated robbery, and he had been using drugs for a long time.
"I have not had good experiences with the police," Rogers told the newspaper, adding that his decision to help Friday was an "impulsive moment" decision.
Australian Hassain Khalif Shire Ali, 30, born in Somalia, stabbed three men in the street during Friday's attack, killing a well-known restaurant owner and wounding two other men.
Sisto Malaspina, 74, died just a stone's throw from the famous Pellegrini Espresso Bar, which he has been running for more than 40 years. The two other men are recovering in a hospital of wounds that are not life threatening.
Victoria Police Commissioner Graham Ashton said Shire Ali had also developed an "unsophisticated" plan for his vehicle to explode and kill more people. He had placed several canisters of barbecue gas in his van, but they did not get inflamed.
Shire Ali was known to the federal police and his Australian passport was canceled in 2015, fearing he would go to Syria to fight with the Islamic State group.
While Rogers was praised by the community, senior Victorian police officials were divided in their reactions.
Assistant Commissioner Shane Patton said Rogers' help was appreciated by the police on site. "There is no doubt that he acted with courage," he told ABC radio. "His help was greatly appreciated."
However, later, Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said that Rogers' actions could have had a tragic result.
"I do not like to criticize people in this situation, it instinctively acts from what he's looking at in front of him," Ashton told Melbourne's 3AW radio.
"But if a wagon struck a policeman and knocked him down and the guilty man was on him, it could have had a tragic consequence. Fortunately in this case, it was not the case. "
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