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EXCLUSIVE: The incredible untold story behind photo of knife-wielding maniac at Bondi Beach before he was shot dead by police - as cop who pulled the trigger reveals 'what made him do it' and how it sparked his downward spiral

Anthony Dilorenzo's life changed forever on June 28, 1997, when he shot a delusional French photographer dead on the sand at Sydney's Bondi Beach.

And according to the young police officer who pulled the trigger, he had no choice. 

The Frenchman, Roni Levi, was coming at him with a giant kitchen knife - and all Dilorenzo could see in his head before he pulled the trigger was an image of his pregnant wife and daughter.

'That's what made me do it,' he told Daily Mail Australia in an exclusive interview.

Delusional French photographer Roni Levi moments before he was shot dead on the sand at Sydney's Bondi Beach

Delusional French photographer Roni Levi moments before he was shot dead on the sand at Sydney's Bondi Beach

Pictured: Anthony Dilorenzo in the 1990sPictured: Anthony Dilorenzo at the booklaunch of 'Honeytrap' by Kanika Batra this month

Pictured left to right: Anthony Dilorenzo in his police uniform in the 1990s; Dilorenzo at the booklaunch of 'Honeytrap' by Kanika Batra this month 

Dilorenzo's life changed forever on June 28, 1997, when he shot Roni Levi dead

Dilorenzo's life changed forever on June 28, 1997, when he shot Roni Levi dead 

'My life was being threatened and my daughter was young at the time. My wife was about to have my son - and I pulled the trigger.'

Hundreds of people gathered to watch the horror unfold that day, including another photographer Jean Pierre Bratanoff-Firgoff who just happened to be passing by.

The photos he captured showed the moments before knife-brandishing Levi -dressed in dark pants, an open white shirt and brown coat - walked towards the officers, who were poised to shoot against the famous coastal backdrop. 

Photographer Jean Pierre Bratanoff-Firgoff, who just happened to be passing by, captured these harrowing pictures

Photographer Jean Pierre Bratanoff-Firgoff, who just happened to be passing by, captured these harrowing pictures 

Officers attempt to revive the Frenchman on the Bondi sand. He couldn't be saved

Officers attempt to revive the Frenchman on the Bondi sand. He couldn't be saved 

Pictured: Anthony Dilorenzo with two of his children, Alex and Claudia, in the early 2000s

Pictured: Anthony Dilorenzo with two of his children, Alex and Claudia, in the early 2000s

Bratanoff-Firgoff's pictures were later used as evidence against Senior Constable Dilorenzo and his partner Constable Rodney Podesta in a failed attempt to  contradict claims they used lethal force because Levi lunged at them.

Both were cleared of any wrongdoing, though the former partners were both later sacked from the police force

The shooting was a first for the then 28-year-old - who had previously watched a crazed armed robber douse himself in fuel and set himself alight at a Bondi petrol station - but had never used his gun on a civilian, or killed anyone.

'It stays with me,' he said. 'It comes to me in dreams. I've lost both my marriages over it.' 

Pictured: Anothony Dilorenzo poised with his gun when he was a police officer in the 1990s

Pictured: Anothony Dilorenzo poised with his gun when he was a police officer in the 1990s

Pictured: Anthony Dilorenzo as a young police officerPictured: Former cop Anthony Dilorenzo

Anthony Dilorenzo is the son of a former CIA agent and comes from a family of policemen

Pictured: Anthony Dilorenzo with two women at Bondi Beach when he was a policeman in the 1990s

Pictured: Anthony Dilorenzo with two women at Bondi Beach when he was a policeman in the 1990s

The events unfolded when Dilorenzo arrived about 20 minutes early for his 7am shift at Bondi Police Station on a frosty winter's morning.

'It was a very clear day - the sun was bright but it was very cold, and I was out near the entrance smoking before my shift started,' he said.  

A man suddenly appeared at the station wearing nothing but white boxer shorts, screaming 'come out, come out!'

He was yelling for police assistance because his flatmate, Roni Levi, tried to stab him and was waving a knife.

Dilorenzo jumped in the underwear-clad man's truck and off they went around the streets of Bondi to the unit, four blocks from the beach, to search for the 33-year-old Frenchman.

After scouring the apartment, the officer saw a man in a trench coat walking along a street near the North Bondi Surf Club - knife in hand.

Anthony Dilorenzo (pictured with a man from the navy) was born in Singapore before is family moved to Sydney

Anthony Dilorenzo (pictured with a man from the navy) was born in Singapore before is family moved to Sydney

Anthony Dilorenzo (pictured centre) was out with a friend in the U.S when his mate was shot. The commotion at the scene once police were called gave him the adrenaline trip that made him want to become a cop

Anthony Dilorenzo (pictured centre) was out with a friend in the U.S when his mate was shot. The commotion at the scene once police were called gave him the adrenaline trip that made him want to become a cop

Pictured: Anthony Dilorenzo posing with his Senior Constable badge when he was a police officer in the late 1990sPicutred: Anothony Dilorenzo when he was young

Pictured left: Anthony Dilorenzo posing with his Senior Constable badge when he was a police officer in the late 1990s

Dilorenzo mounted the kerb in the truck towards Levi, who jumped off the concrete and started to run down the sand and towards the water.

'I watched him and he threw something at me - to this day I can't tell you what it was because it landed in the sand, but I thought it was a knife,' he said. 

Levi suddenly turned around and started slashing a knife at the senior constable near the shoreline, who instinctively jumped back and drew his gun.

By that stage, police reinforcement arrived, including Dilorenzo's partner Podesta.

'We had him at gunpoint, saying "drop the knife" over and over,' the former cop said.

Levi started stepping into the waves with the knife pressed against his chest, until he was waist-deep in water and more reinforcements from the Rose Bay station arrived.

The tragedy on June 28, 1997 marked the first time Anthony Dilorenzo (pictured) pulled the trigger one someone

The tragedy on June 28, 1997 marked the first time Anthony Dilorenzo pulled the trigger one someone

Pictured: Anthony Dilorenzo at the book launch for 'Honey Trap'  by new author Kanika Batra

Pictured: Anthony Dilorenzo at the book launch for 'Honey Trap'  by new author Kanika Batra

'We thought he was going to suicide,' Dilorenzo said.

'His eyes were really freaked out and his tongue was out, but he never said a word the whole time.'  

When Levi emerged from the water, the group of officers formed a semi-circle around him near the water's edge. 

Levi started walking towards the north end of the beach, before he turned around and started striding to the south end of the kilometre-long stretch of shoreline. 

For 42 minutes, the convoy of six cops moved with the French photographer up across the beach - guns out, repeatedly asking him to 'drop the knife'.

Until he finally stopped and eyeballed Dilorenzo.

'He looked at me, gnarled and moved the knife in a figure-of-eight towards me, and stepped in my direction,' he said. 

Levi moved towards the senior constable, slashing the knife as he inched forward slowly at first, gaining speed.

Pictured: Anothony Dilorenzo today. He works as a boxing instructor around the Bondi area

Pictured: Anothony Dilorenzo today. He works as a boxing instructor around the Bondi area

Picutred: Anthony Dilorenzo after delivering a speech at the book launch for 'Honey Trap', by new author Kanika Batra

Picutred: Anthony Dilorenzo after delivering a speech at the book launch for 'Honey Trap', by new author Kanika Batra

Armed police repeatedly pleaded with the knifeman to drop his weapon, until Dilorenzo said he pointed the blade at him and started running.

'There must have been 100 spectators watching, not realising their lives were in danger,' he said.

'My life was threatened and I shot two rounds. Who knows what would have happened if he got past me and ran into the crowd.'

Podesta also fired two rounds and Levi collapsed in the wet sand.

'His wrist was still flicking around with the knife in it as he lay on the ground. I could see the holes in his chest on the ground, and red coming out,' Dilorenzo said. 

Paramedics took over, but Levi died of his injuries in St Vincent's hospital later that day. 

Levi's friends later described him as a softly spoken and spiritual man who had a mental disorder.

Attending the launch of the new book, Honey Trap, was SansDrinks founder Irene Falcone

Attending the launch of the new book, Honey Trap, was SansDrinks founder Irene Falcone

Witnesses questioned whether he actually posed a threat to police.

There were allegations Dilorenzo and Podesta had been partying the night before and were intoxicated when they shot the mentally ill man on the beach - claims that were never proven and which the now 60-year-old denies. 

The cops weren't tested for drugs and alcohol following the incident.

Dilorenzo was let go from the police force in 2000 when he couldn't explain his involvement in a drug trafficking incident, while Podesta resigned the following year in 1998 and was later found in possession of drugs.

'I have never been charged or been involved with drugs,' Dilorenzo said. 'My partner's father also died in 1997 and that was hard for him, and he started using to feel better. He was suicidal.

'We got two counselling sessions after the shooting and that was it. If you were upset, you were a pussy. There was no support.

Dilorenzo is now 60 and said he likes to keep busy as a bouncer at Sydney pubs, a celebrity security guard, a kick-boxing instructor and an Uber driver

Dilorenzo is now 60 and said he likes to keep busy as a bouncer at Sydney pubs, a celebrity security guard, a kick-boxing instructor and an Uber driver

'A lot of cops would use alcohol to forget and get blind drunk in their time off so they didn't have to think about the awful things they saw before they went to bed.'

Dilorenzo insisted he never meant to harm Levi and lamented the fact that police in those days weren't given pepper spray or Tasers.

'I would have Tasered him if I had one, but we didn't - that incident is the reason why police now have other weapons,' he said.

Dilorenzo suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his time as a policeman and said he is still haunted in his sleep by the worst cases.

The Bondi shooting features heavily in his dreams, but he also has nightmares of the burning man at the Bondi petrol station.

'He used the bowser to douse himself in fuel. I still remember him holding the white lighter. He burned himself in front of me. When I rolled on him, hand and bone was all over me,' he said. 

'It took about a hundred showers to get the smell away.'

Both of his marriages broke down, but Dilorenzo said he likes to keep busy as a bouncer at Sydney pubs, a celebrity security guard, a kick-boxing instructor and an Uber driver - where he is often recognised for the infamous day 23 years ago.

Pictured: Anothony Dilorenzo swimming in a pool, with his family in the early 2000s

Pictured: Anothony Dilorenzo swimming in a pool, with his family in the early 2000s

Anothony Dilorenzo (pictured at the Bondi Beach skate ramp in the '90s) still lives in Bondi

Anothony Dilorenzo (pictured at the Bondi Beach skate ramp in the '90s) still lives in Bondi

'People get in the car and look at me and say "aren't you that cop who shot that guy in the '90s?" - I can't escape it.'

Instead of moving away from the Bondi area, Dilorenzo stayed and still lives there today - often walking by the scene of the tragedy.

'When the beach is on TV, or when I walk past, I recognise the exact spot - I could never forget,' he said. 

Dilorenzo is writing his own book, 'Cop That', which will be released in 2021 and detail his experiences in the force.

Last week, he was recognised in an Uber by celebrity PR agent Max Markson and was invited to speak about his experiences at a book launch for 'Honeytrap' by debut author Kanika Batra.

Ms Batra, 27, has a keen interest in serial killer Ted Bundy - an ex suicide hotline employee who murdered at least 35 women in the U.S. - and interwove his story her own fictitious female serial killer.

'I wanted Anthony to speak because he went through something quite unique, like my character - there aren't many female serial killers around,' she said. 

Honey Trap is available from bookstores from December 10 for for $29.95.

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