Over $100,000 has been raised for 46-year-old homeless man Michael Rogers, who confronted a knife-wielding terrorist with a shopping trolley in Melbourne on Friday afternoon.
Footage of Rogers repeatedly pushing a trolley at 30-year-old Hassan Khalif Shire Ali as he tried to attack police went viral over the weekend, prompting the creation of an online fundraiser for Rogers, who has been dubbed "trolley man".
⚡️ Melbourne: “I threw the trolley straight at him, and I got him. I didn't quite get him down, though. I’m no hero” - Michael Rogers. 7 News has spoken exclusively to “trolley man”, a bystander being hailed a hero following Friday’s terror attack. #TrolleyMan #7News https://t.co/K0v3OXAwe0
Shire Ali fatally stabbed one man, 74-year-old Sisto Malaspina, and injured two others before he was shot by police. He later died in hospital.
An online fund was set up for Rogers by the Melbourne Homeless Collective after it emerged that he was homeless and had broken his phone in the incident.
Within 10 hours the fund had raised over $9,000, and by Monday the figure was over $100,000.
"We're absolutely blown away by everyone's generosity and spirit in helping our hero get back on his feet," wrote Melbourne Homeless Collective founder Donna Zen.
"We don't actually have a set target but due to the incredible generosity we've seen so far we'll keep increasing the total accordingly."
While people have lauded Rogers' bravery, Victoria Police chief commissioner Graham Ashton told ABC radio people should be cautious when intervening with police operations.
"Certainly people need to be cautious when trying to do that sort of thing," he said. "If the trolley had hit one of the police officers and he'd fallen over and [Shire Ali] was on top of him, it could have been a different outcome."
Speaking to The Age newspaper, Rogers said he had been in and out of jail for two decades, with a history of drug use. "I haven't had good experiences with police," he said.
"It was spur of the moment. The car stopped and I heard a lot of yelling and screaming. Initially I thought it was the driver and the occupants fighting. But when I saw people running and screaming I realised it was something a bit more than an argument."