The Spanish policeman, who shot and killed four terrorists as they attacked civilians with knives and an axe in the resort town of Cambrils, is a former special forces soldier who was working overtime.
The married father, who has not been named for security reasons, served with the Legion - an elite infantry unit of the Spanish army.
More World News Videos
- Video duration
- 01:12
Barcelona terror attack: Suspects shot ...
Barcelona terror attack: Suspects shot dead in Cambrils
Catalan police shoot suspects dead in Cambrils hours after a van ploughed through a crowded street in Barcelona killing over a dozen people.
Up Next
Millions watch solar eclipse
- Video duration
- 01:45
- Video duration
- 01:45
Millions watch solar eclipse
Millions watch solar eclipse
Experts warned that viewing certain parts of the solar eclipse without protective eyewear could cause partial blindness or thermal injuries.
Up Next
Total solar eclipse spectacle
- Video duration
- 01:27
- Video duration
- 01:27
Total solar eclipse spectacle
Total solar eclipse spectacle
The last total solar eclipse to travel from one side of the US to another was in 1918, and millions took the opportunity to see the rare event.
Up Next
Johnson & Johnson $100m talc-cancer payout
- Video duration
- 01:02
- Video duration
- 01:02
Johnson & Johnson $100m talc-cancer payout
Johnson & Johnson $100m talc-cancer payout
As reported in 2016, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay more than $100 million in suit linking talcum powder to ovarian cancer.
Up Next
Judge shot outside courthouse, gunman killed
- Video duration
- 00:31
- Video duration
- 00:31
Judge shot outside courthouse, gunman ...
Judge shot outside courthouse, gunman killed
A gunman shot and wounded a judge in an ambush outside an Ohio courthouse before being fatally shot by a probation officer.
Up Next
Repairs silence Big Ben for four years
- Video duration
- 01:56
- Video duration
- 01:56
Repairs silence Big Ben for four years
Repairs silence Big Ben for four years
The 'Big Ben' bell in the British Parliament's famous clock tower tolled for the last time on Monday before it ceased its regular bongs for four years.
Up Next
Madsen tells court journalist died in submarine
- Video duration
- 00:57
- Video duration
- 00:57
Madsen tells court journalist died in ...
Madsen tells court journalist died in submarine
A Danish inventor charged with killing journalist Kim Wall in his home-made submarine has told a court she did die in the vessel, changing his earlier statement.
Up Next
Suspected Barcelona attacker shot dead
- Video duration
- 01:53
- Video duration
- 01:53
Suspected Barcelona attacker shot dead
Suspected Barcelona attacker shot dead
Ending a five-day manhunt, police shot dead a man they believe was behind the terrorist attacks in Barcelona last week. Vision: Seven News
Barcelona terror attack: Suspects shot dead in Cambrils
Catalan police shoot suspects dead in Cambrils hours after a van ploughed through a crowded street in Barcelona killing over a dozen people.
He was highly trained in firearms and marksmanship. After leaving the armed forces he joined the Catalan police force Mossos d'Esquadra, where he had hoped for a more stable and less dangerous life.
The officer was not meant to be on duty on Thursday night, but agreed to work overtime, to beef up security, after the attacks in Barcelona earlier that day.
As his patrol monitored the promenade in Cambrils, 120 kilometres from Barcelona, five terrorists drove into the resort intent on causing further death and destruction.
Driving at high speed, the jihadists ploughed a black Audi A3 into pedestrians on a promenade before crashing into a police checkpoint - overturning the vehicle and injuring one officer.
The terrorists, who were wearing fake suicide vests, then jumped out, armed with an axe and knives.
But using his army training and experience, the officer shot and killed four of them, probably saving dozens of lives.
The fifth terrorist got away and stabbed a woman in the neck before being shot dead by another officer.
The Audi A3 used in the Cambrils attack was photographed by a speed camera near Paris about a week before the atrocities in Spain, it has emerged.
French police found the photo while searching for possible accomplices, according to security sources.
Telegraph, London