The House of Commons sergeant-at-arms who shot the gunman who stormed the halls of Parliament last month earned praise from Israel's prime minister on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers Wednesday in the Knesset.
During their meeting, Vickers described to Netanyahu the events of Oct. 22, when gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau killed a soldier at the National War Memorial before storming the halls of the Centre Block.
Vickers was hailed a hero after he shot Zehaf-Bibeau. Many MPs who were in Parliament that day credit the 58-year-old with saving their lives.
Netanyahu praised Vickers for his bravery and quick response, according to a statement from his office.
During his visit, Vickers received gifts from Israeli officials and toured the grounds of the Knesset. In a video released by the Knesset, he said he was "touched and humbled" to be visiting the legislature.
Vickers brushed off personal compliments about his actions in Parliament last month, noting that it was a group of people who helped stop the assailant. "On that day in particular, it was a real team effort," he said.
He added that the biggest lesson he's learned from the Ottawa shootings is the importance of working with the community.
"Community is part of everyday policing; it's part of everyday security. We have to be very active and proactive in identifying people with issues prior to them surfacing," he said. "This is not an issue just for security, this is everybody's issue."
Vickers was in Israel to attend an international security conference with other parliamentary security personnel. The trip had been arranged before the attack in Ottawa.
