BRAVERY AWARDS RECEIVED BY THEN DETECTIVE SENIOR CONSTABLE
STEVE PACKER & DETECTIVE SERGEANT JOHN NAGLE FOLLOWING THEIR
EXTREMELY BRAVE ACTIONS ON 31 JANUARY 1984.

These significant awards were approved by Acting NSW Police Commissioner Peter
Thurtell, APM in 2025. I thank Peter for his support & willingness to sign off on their
nominations which resulted in Steve Packer & John Nagle finally been recognised for
their extremely brave actions on 31 January 1984. The incident was then described
as ‘The Atahan Siege’ during which hostages were taken from inside the
Commonwealth Bank, George Street, Sydney during a daylight bank robbery by
Hakki Bahadir Athan, a 35 year old habitual criminal.
The day was certainly evocative of the Al Pacino movie ‘Dog Day Afternoon’. I will
briefly describe what happened for those who may be unaware or perhaps were not
born in 1984. Atahan, after robbing the Bank, took hostages which he used to form
a human shield, all whilst holding a handgun at the head of the Bank Manager. He
walked them out of the Bank & entered a Datsun Sedan, directing the Manager to
drive. The news media became aware of what was happening & remained a
constant throughout the incident.
Over the ensuing hours, the vehicle was driven through the Eastern Suburbs &
Manly with a convoy of at least 30 police vehicles following. The Datsun was
stopped north of the Spit Bridge where it was approached by Detective Senior
Constables Packer & Canellis. They stood side by side at the driver’s side door in
clear view of Atahan who had his weapon pointed at the head of the Bank Manager.
Whilst attempting to resolve the situation & without warning Atahan fired a single
shot, striking Steve Canellis between the eyes. In defence of their partner & the
hostages, both Packer & Nagle discharged their service weapons, bringing an end to
the threat posed by Atahan. Their actions, in perilous conditions, saved the hostages
& perhaps other police. Steve Canellis miraculously recovered from this life threating
attack.
Detective Senior Constable Steve Canellis was rightly awarded the ‘Star of Courage’
by the then NSW Police Commissioner, but inexplicably Steve Packer & John Nagle
were not similarly recognised. Perhaps this decision was made as historically such
awards were selectively given during incidents where lethal force was used. Sadly,
Steve Canellis passed away in 2021. (RIP)

As we approach the 42nd anniversary of ‘The Atahan Siege’ this omission has finally
been rectified. The award ceremony was held on 7 May 2026 during which
Commissioner Mal Lanyon, APM said the outstanding bravery shown by former
Detectives Packer & Nagle is a testament to their character & unwavering
commitment to ensuring community safety. “These two officers showed
extraordinary courage on the day while confronted with an armed offender, a
hostage situation & an escalating threat to the public. Their actions without doubt
saved lives & were selfless & unwavering in their pursuit to protect others in a
moment of great danger. It was an honour to award them the Commissioners
Commendation for Courage today & uphold them as an inspiring example of the very
best in policing.”

S.A. Reeves
Stephen Reeves, OAM.