Shoot And Demonise The Death Of Roni Levi

Biography & Memoir True Crime

Shoot and Demonise: The Death of Roni Levi by James Miller dissects a 1997 Sydney beachside police shooting that shocked Australia. In this concise 158-page paperback, the investigative journalist pieces together the final moments of Roni Levi, a young man whose death became a flashpoint for debates about mental health, media spin and police tactics.

Miller’s 2000 true-crime biography tracks how tabloid headlines branded Levi a “mad gunman” and asks who decides which lives matter. Drawing on court transcripts, eyewitness accounts and leaked documents, the author exposes the rush to judgment and the human cost of sensational reporting. Readers after Australian crime stories or criminology case studies will find the narrative pace tight and the questions unsettling.

This first edition from Hardie Grant remains in very good shape: spine uncreased, pages clean and unmarked, binding firm, just light cover scuffing and two tiny corner folds. No writing, tears or ex-library stamps—an tidy copy for true-crime collectors or students of modern policing.

Compact enough for a weekend read, the book suits young adults and adults curious about how real events become media myths. Add this out-of-print Australian title to your crime shelf and revisit a case that still echoes in debates over police accountability and mental health response.