Woman receives top bravery award for shielding teen from bow and arrow attacker

Nicole Law has been honored with Queensland's highest civilian bravery award for her courageous actions in September 2020. While grocery shopping in Ipswich, Law heard a teenage girl screaming and being chased by a man armed with a bow and arrow. Instead of fleeing, the 42-year-old mother approached the danger.

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I didn't feel any fear at the time ... all I knew [was] that this young girl was crying for help.

Law asked the girl, who had an arrow in her hand, to get behind her. When the attacker appeared, she confronted him, attempting to de-escalate the situation by asking him what was happening. The man, identified as Benjamin Bourke, claimed to be going through a "rough time" after being hit by a car. Law responded by acknowledging his difficult period, and Bourke eventually dropped his belongings and told them they were okay.

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I don't know my exact words, but it was just like 'what's happening for you? Why are you doing this?'

Bourke was then subdued by other shoppers and arrested by police. He later pleaded guilty to attempted murder of the 15-year-old girl and received a 10-and-a-half-year prison sentence. The court heard that Bourke had also fired an arrow at another woman for racial reasons and had briefly considered harming another woman with a baby.

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I just basically said to him 'well that's a really s*** time for you.'

Law's heroism was recognized with the Clarke Gold Medal at the Royal Humane Society of Australasia's Bravery Medals ceremony. Queensland's Governor, Dr. Jeannette Young, presented the award, telling Law, "Thank you, you saved her life." The ceremony also honored three surfers who rescued two men from a rip current.

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I didn't know at the time what pain he was causing, I just saw he was struggling and he was chasing this girl.