Officer Johann Vella's colleagues thought he was dead after St Julian's shooting, court hears
Several of Johann Vella’s colleagues believed he was dead when they saw him lying bloodied and unresponsive after he was shot during the police operation in Ta’ Ġiorni, a court heard on Wednesday.
The harrowing accounts emerged on Wednesday as the compilation of evidence against John Agius continued, with officers describing the chaotic moments surrounding the shooting and the efforts to get their wounded colleague to safety.
One Special Intervention Unit officer, whose identity was not disclosed, told the court that Vella was hit as officers were carrying out the operation inside the property.
When officers reached him, Vella was covered in blood and was not responding.
The witness said the sight of their colleague lying motionless led officers at the scene to believe that he had died.
Other testimony painted a similarly grim picture, with witnesses describing Vella as appearing severely injured and not breathing in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
Despite the shock, officers continued trying to secure the scene and extract three colleagues who remained trapped inside the property.
Vella was eventually handed over to medical personnel, as the operation continued around him.
Wednesday’s evidence offered a more personal account of the shooting than earlier sittings, focusing not only on the sequence of the police operation but on the reaction of officers who suddenly found one of their own critically wounded.
Vella survived the shooting, but previous medical testimony before the court established just how precarious his condition had been.
The compilation of evidence against Agius concerns the armed confrontation in Ta’ Ġiorni on 24 July, which developed after police responded to an incident at the property.
During the first sitting of the compilation last Thursday, the court was shown bodycam footage, CCTV recordings and drone images documenting the police operation. Inspector Stephen Gulia testified that officers initially attended the scene after reports that a fire had deliberately been started beneath construction workers operating from a crane platform.
The court heard that officers subsequently attempted to persuade Agius to surrender before entering the property through a side gate after finding the main entrance barricaded. According to testimony presented so far, Agius later appeared armed with a shotgun and shots were fired during the operation.
Police Constable Omar Sharif told the court he was struck in the neck and leg after a shot was fired shortly after officers entered the property. RIU officers Keith Schembri, Aidan Demicoli and Samuel Muscat also testified about the operation, with Demicoli telling the court he fired 12 rounds after seeing the barrel of a shotgun, in an effort to protect officers trapped inside.
The previous sitting also heard medical testimony concerning Sergeant Johann Vella, who suffered serious injuries during the incident. Emergency consultants told the court that Vella’s airway was rapidly closing and that urgent intervention at the scene was necessary before he could be transferred to Mater Dei Hospital.
Agius eventually surrendered following lengthy negotiations with police.
Proceedings continue on 19 August at 10:30am, with the prosecution set to call witnesses to reconstruct the events leading up to and following the shooting.
The prosecution was led by Inspectors Joseph Mercieca, Christian Xuereb and Stephen Gulia, assisted by Attorney General lawyers Kaylee Bonett and Joseph Camilleri Azarov.
Lawyers Franco Debono and Herman Mula appeared as parte civile for Johann Vella.
Lawyers Anthea Zammit and Paul Camilleri appeared as parte civile for Omar Sharif.
Defence Lawyer Thomas Sant appeared for the accused John Agius.
14:04: With Miguel Bugeja’s testimony concluded, the court has adjourned for the day.
Proceedings in the trial will resume on 19 August, at 10:30am
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A full summary of today’s courtroom proceedings will be published shortly.
13:57: The next witness, Miguel Bugeja, stationed in Paceville, takes the witness stand.
Bugeja says the control room informed them that smoke had been reported in St Julian’s. He and a colleague went to the scene, where they met RIU officers and members of the Civil Protection Department.
They were informed that the fire had allegedly been started deliberately. Bugeja says his colleague, Inspector Kelsey Bugeja, called to inform her of the situation.
He says they took George Agius’s details and went to look for him but initially found no one there.
He says George Agius was later arrested on suspicion of arson. Bugeja says Agius immediately handed over the keys to the residence, after which RIU officers went inside.
Bugeja says he entered with them while accompanying George Agius.
A short while later, he heard a gunshot, and they moved back downstairs.
Bugeja says he remained with George Agius and helped place him inside a police vehicle for his safety.
As more officers arrived at the scene, district police later transported George Agius to the police station.
13:52: Azzopardi says he received a call from the control room at around 10:45am. Members of the Civil Protection Department and the RIU were already on site.
He says officers informed him that the case concerned an alleged arson attack, and he took the details of the two workers involved.
Azzopardi says he spoke to the workers who had recorded footage of the alleged arson. He also saw RIU officers speaking to a person who was on a motorcycle.
He says the footage showed liquid being poured onto the ground at the construction site before a fire was started.
According to the complainants, George Agius allegedly brought the items used to start the fire, while John Agius allegedly set it alight.
Azzopardi says he then heard officers calling out: “John Agius, come out so we can speak to you.”
A short while later, he heard a gunshot.
Other officers then arrived to place George Agius inside a police vehicle.
Azzopardi says he turned his attention to people standing on nearby balconies, instructing them to go inside for their own safety.
George Agius was subsequently taken to the police station.
13:48: The next witness, Jesmond Azzopardi, stationed at the St Julian’s Police Station, takes the witness stand.
13:33: Scerri says Inspector Kurt Zahra was attempting to communicate with the aggressor, who remained inside the building.
He positioned himself on the roof of a nearby building, which gave him a clear vantage point over the scene.
From there, he saw members of the Special Intervention Unit attempting to extract their colleagues from inside the property.
Scerri says he recorded a video of the operation, including the moment Johann Vella was injured, and later sent the footage to investigators.
13:31: Garry Scerri, stationed with the Homicide Squad, takes the witness stand.
Scerri says that on July 26 he was informed of a fire in St Julian’s and that there were people beneath the area where the fire had started.
A short while later, he received another call from an officer who sounded panicked and told him: “They shot at us.” This refers to the moment when Omar Sheriff was shot.
Scerri says they immediately left and headed to the scene.
13:30: Herman Mula, appearing parte civile, asks where the briefing was given.
The witness says it was given at the scene, as the inspector had arrived before them.
Cross-examination is reserved.
13:20: The witness says he remained inside providing cover to Omar Sharif and another police officer, adding that he effectively became trapped inside with them.
The prosecution asks what happened to the ballistic shield.
He says the shield was struck by gunfire, although he did not realise it at the time. His colleagues later pointed out the damage to him.
“If I hadn’t had the shield, I would have ended up being hit too, and possibly some of my colleagues as well,” he says.
Asked how long he remained inside, the witness says he is not certain but estimates it was around an hour and a half.
The witness says he remained in communication with another officer outside the property.
A few seconds after Johann Vella was hit, the officer informed him that Vella had been injured.
“But I couldn’t do anything from inside,” the witness says.
Following negotiations, the accused was instructed to place his hands by the window. The officers outside then began telling the trapped policemen that it was safe to come out.
The witness says he initially refused because he could only see one of the accused’s hands.
He says officers outside reassured him that both hands were visible.
“I trusted them and came out,” he says, adding that he was the last officer to leave the property.
13:19: The witness says that on the day of the incident, he and two colleagues were on standby duty when they were informed of a fire in Ta’ Ġiorni and that a person had fired at police officers.
He says the team began preparing immediately, collected their equipment and headed to the scene, where a large police presence had already gathered.
An inspector briefed them on what had happened, informing them that Omar Sharif had been shot and that he and another police officer were trapped inside the property.
Their instructions were to enter and provide assistance and protection to the trapped officers.
The witness says they followed those instructions and formed a six-person stack. He was the lead officer, positioned at the front carrying the ballistic shield.
He describes the entry as difficult because there was a considerable amount of rubble and uneven ground. He says he climbed over part of a wall while holding the shield and his firearm.
At that moment, the accused fired a shot.
The witness says he saw the blast and was able to identify the window from which the shot had been fired. When he looked towards it, he saw smoke coming from the window.
He describes it as a glass window covered with what appeared to be green netting.
13:06: The next SIU officer says that on July 24 he was working his shift when, at around 11:25am, they were informed that an individual had set fire to a residence and had a firearm
He says the team immediately collected their equipment, including bulletproof vests and ballistic glasses, and headed to the scene in St Julian’s.
As described by the previous witness, the SIU officers were briefed on the situation before forming a stack to move into the property and assist the police officers who were trapped inside.
The witness says that when the shooting occurred, he looked towards the direction the shot had come from.
He says he saw a window covered by green netting, with smoke coming out of it immediately after the shot was fired.
The witness then says he saw John Agius being arrested after the agreement with the police was reached.
After the arrest, the SIU officers entered the property to secure it and ensure that no one else was inside.
13:00: The SIU officer says he was the first person in the formation, carrying the ballistic shield, while Johann Vella was moving in behind him.
He says that was when Vella was hit.
“The shot struck him in the face,” the witness says. Vella was knocked unconscious and fell to the ground, with blood covering his face.
Asked what injuries he could see, the witness says he mainly remembers seeing blood. From Vella’s appearance, however, he believed he had been struck by a shotgun blast.
The officers took Vella to the medic and then continued with the operation.
The witness says he later climbed onto a nearby building, from where he had a clearer view of the area and of the aggressor’s position.
A short while later, Inspector Kurt Zahra began negotiating with him.
The witness says that, from his position, he saw John Agius move from one room to another and call out to him. Agius looked towards him but continued walking.
He adds that at that moment, Agius was carrying a firearm.
12:52: The SIU officer says he was at the office at around 11:30am when a sergeant called to inform him that a person was shooting at police.
He and his team immediately prepared, put on their protective equipment, and headed to the scene.
Once there, his inspector and an RIU inspector briefed them on what had happened and informed them that Police Constable Omar Sharif had been injured in the neck.
The officers then decided to enter the property and formed a six-person stack.
12:41: Following the conclusion of Special Intervention Unit officer Malcolm Sammut’s testimony, proceedings resume with a second Special Intervention Unit officer taking the witness stand.
Court orders that his name is not mentioned.
12:35: About 20 minutes later, the first SIU team arrived at the scene.
Sammut says he briefed the officers on the situation and prepared the team to extract the two police officers who were still inside the property.
The SIU officers were equipped with ballistic helmets, gloves, and ballistic shields.
He says there was a five-member SIU team on the scene, including Vella.
Sammut says their approach involved advancing behind the ballistic shield to reach and extract the trapped officers.
Sammut says he was walking in with the team when he suddenly heard a very loud noise.
He turned around and saw Johann Vella lying on the ground.
He says six people were stacked together at the time, including SIU officers and himself.
Vella’s face was covered in blood, and he was unresponsive.
“There was nothing from his side, just a face full of blood,” Sammut says.
He says that when he saw Vella, he believed he had been hit by a shotgun blast, adding that there appeared to be pellet residue on his face.
The officers moved Vella to a designated casualty protection area, where emergency assistance could be provided.
12:28: Sammut says he then began securing and preparing the perimeter around the scene.
While preparations were underway, he could hear officers attempting to communicate with the accused.
He says he climbed onto nearby buildings to better understand the area’s layout.
From there, he could see that two of the officers inside the property were in an unsafe position.
12:25: Sammut says that on 24 July, 2026, he received a phone call from an inspector informing him that shots had just been fired in the St Julian’s area.
Sammut says he immediately alerted members of the Special Intervention Unit and drove to the scene.
Upon arriving, he spoke to an RIU sergeant, who briefed him on what had happened.
He was informed that shots had been fired, that Police Constable Omar Sharif had been hit, and that three police officers were trapped inside the property.
12:21: Following the conclusion of Inspector Raymond Azzopardi’s testimony, proceedings resume with Special Intervention Unit officer Malcolm Sammut taking the witness stand.
12:20: Lawyer Franco Debono refers to the witness’s earlier statement that, from what he saw, he thought Johann Vella was dead and asks why he described it that way.
The witness says that at the time he was directly behind Vella. He explains that, as part of their procedure, officers hold onto the vest of the colleague in front of them, so they know someone is immediately behind them.
He says that just a few minutes earlier, he had told Vella: “Joh, I’m right behind you.”
The witness says that when the shots were fired, he was hit by blood from Vella because of the blast.
He says Vella first dropped to his knees before falling backwards, face-up, between the witness’s legs.
“He wasn’t even breathing,” the witness says, adding that when he tried speaking to Vella, he did not respond.
12:16: He says he called for assistance to carry Vella away, and they handed him over to the medical team. Their operation, however, had to continue because three police officers were still trapped inside.
Asked to describe Vella’s condition, the witness says he remembers his face being severely injured. He says they placed their trust in the medical team and continued with their work.
Communication with the aggressor continued throughout the operation.
Asked what communication had taken place before the shooting, the witness says police repeatedly tried to persuade him to come out and reach an agreement. They also attempted to call him on his mobile phone, but he was not answering.
After the shooting, officers were informed that Inspector Kurt Zahra had managed to establish contact with him after he finally answered his phone.
The witness says that shortly before 1pm, an agreement was reached whereby the alleged aggressor would show both his hands so that police could safely extract the three officers who were trapped inside.
They succeeded in getting the officers out.
A further agreement was then reached for the man to come out with his hands raised. The witness says he did not want to see police officers because he was afraid they would beat him.
Once he emerged, Inspectors Kurt Zahra and Stephen Gulia approached him. After officers determined he was unarmed, he was arrested.
12:14: The witness says the Special Intervention Unit officers were equipped with a bulletproof shield.
He says the plan was for the team to enter together, protected by the shield, and to respond if shots were fired at them.
He explains that the internal yard was uneven. As the officers stacked behind one another and moved forward from behind the wall, they took around three steps before shots were fired.
“I felt the blast against the wall,” he says.
Within seconds, he saw someone on the ground. At that point, nobody knew exactly what had happened.
The officer’s face was covered in blood, and he was not speaking.
“I thought he was dead,” the witness says.
12:08: The witness says they were informed that two police officers, Omar Sharif and Schembri, were trapped in the internal yard of the property.
He says Sharif had been shot but was conscious and able to communicate with police.
From the roof of a nearby building, officers could see the two policemen. He describes the area as having two windows, an internal door, an opening and a wall, with the officers positioned next to the wall to take cover.
Negotiators arrived at the scene while they were still on the roof. The witness says they discussed how they could safely get the two officers out of the yard.
The negotiators attempted to contact Agius but initially received no response. Inspector Kurt Zahra made it clear that they were police officers, but for a considerable period there was no communication with the aggressor.
The witness says their priority was to get the two trapped officers out of the property without engaging with the aggressor.
He says he also briefed Keith Arnaud, among the first members of the Special Intervention Unit to arrive, explaining the shooting, the layout of the scene and where the officers were positioned.
12:06: The witness says he was at the office in Siġġiewi when he heard that an incident had taken place in St Julian’s.
After some time, he received a call from a constable informing him that two people had allegedly started a fire at a building. One person had been arrested, while the other remained inside the property alone.
He says he instructed officers to try calling the man first but was told that his phone was not even ringing.
A few minutes later, he heard officers shouting: “They’re shooting at us, they’re shooting at us.”
He says he tried to understand what was happening and called a colleague, informing him that there was a person in San Ġwann shooting at police officers.
The witness then headed to the scene, putting on his bulletproof vest and carrying a Taser.
He says he arrived at around 11:30am, with the colleague arriving a few minutes later.
Once there, they identified the building and tried to reach the rooftop for a clearer view of what was happening inside the property.
12:01: Following the conclusion of Inspector Kelsey Bugeja’s testimony, proceedings resume with Inspector Raymond Azzopardi, taking the witness stand.
11:50: Franco Debono, parte civile for Johann Vella, asks Bugeja whether she saw Johann Vella at the scene.
“Yes,” she replies.
FD: “After he was injured?”
KB: “Yes.”
Asked about his condition, Bugeja says: “Unfortunately, I will never forget it.”
She says she cannot even describe the way Vella was breathing. His face was covered in blood, and she helped police officers lift him onto a stretcher.
Bugeja says they tried to remove the clothes he was wearing but were unable to, so they cut them off.
She says Vella could not see because his face was covered in blood.
Bugeja recalls medical personnel inserting a tube into his mouth to clear the blood and help him breathe as best he could.
“He was suffering a lot,” she says.
The defence reserves its right to cross-examine the witness.
11:49: Dr Nicholas Bugeja, lawyer for Parte civile, asks the witness about her first contact with the officers on the day in question and the reason the police were initially called to the scene.
Bugeja says it was because a fire had allegedly been started deliberately with the intention of injuring others.
Asked about the video she had mentioned earlier, Bugeja says workers carrying out works next door had footage of the fire and showed it to police.
Asked whether she personally saw the footage, Bugeja says she did not.
11:47: The prosecution asks Bugeja what contact she had with John Agius.
She says she only saw him coming out of the property in handcuffs before being placed inside a police vehicle.
Bugeja identifies John Agius in the courtroom.
The prosecution asks Bugeja what communication she heard between police and John Agius while she was at the scene.
She says Inspector Stephen Gulia was attempting to speak to Agius and reach an agreement with him.
Bugeja says she remained farther back because she was not wearing the appropriate protective gear, leaving other officers better equipped to handle the situation.
Asked how police communicated with Agius, she says they used megaphones.
She says she was some distance away and could not hear everything that was being said, although she could see what was happening.
Bugeja adds that police were also trying to get people away from the balconies.
11:39: Bugeja says PC650 called her again and informed her that one of the men, George Agius, had arrived at the scene on a motorcycle and was arrested there and then. The other person, however, was still inside the property.
A short while later, she received another call informing her that a police officer had been shot and that two other officers were trapped inside.
Bugeja says she immediately left the other investigation she was working on and went straight to the scene. She says she arrived before noon.
She says that after some time, further shots were fired, during which Johann Vella was injured. He was taken to an ambulance, where he received medical assistance.
Bugeja says John Agius was eventually arrested at around 1:10pm.
She adds that she informed Magistrate Lara Lanfranco of both George Agius’s arrest and John Agius’s arrest.
11:34: Inspector Kelsey Bugeja, stationed at the St Julian’s Police Station, takes the witness stand.
The prosecution asks her about the investigation and her involvement in the case.
Bugeja says that on July 24 she was on duty at the St Julian’s District Police Station when she received a phone call from PC650, who began explaining the situation at the scene.
She says members of the Civil Protection Department and the RIU were already on site, with CPD officers controlling the fire. At that stage, she was informed that nobody had been injured.
PC650 then handed the phone to Omar Sharif, who was among the first police officers to arrive at the scene. He told her that workers carrying out works at the building had a video showing a person setting the fire.
Bugeja says the workers told police that the people who had started the fire were inside the property.
After the situation was explained to her, Bugeja says she gave the order for police officers to enter the property and arrest those involved.
She says she informed duty magistrate Joe Mifsud, who opened an inquiry into the situation as it stood at the time.
Bugeja adds that she called a colleague to inform him of what had happened because he was more readily available to report from the scene.
11:19: The compilation of evidence against John Agius, who is charged over the shooting of two police officers in St Julian’s, following an alleged arson attack on construction workers in the area, is due to continue today.
The compilation of evidence against John Agius continues on Wednesday morning, less than a week after the court heard testimony from police officers and medical professionals about the dramatic armed standoff in Ta’ Ġiorni that left two officers injured.
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