Source : the age
Body-worn camera footage appears to capture a male NSW Police officer revelling after a violent altercation with a protester during a rally against the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog in February.
In the footage, posted by an Instagram profile named “watchthec0ps” and referred by Greens MP Sue Higginson to the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) on Tuesday, the officer can be heard saying he “f—king pumped that c—” and “punched him in the head when he was down”. It also shows a female officer admitting she witnessed the incident and laughing about the officer’s description.
The release of the footage will renew pressure on NSW Police, who were forced to defend the conduct of officers accused of assaulting protesters and employing heavy-handed tactics during the demonstration outside Sydney Town Hall on February 9 this year. The LECC, which is the police watchdog, launched Operation Makalu to investigate the police operation four days after the protest.
Last month, the LECC said private and public examinations would commence in September. The hearings were intended to address the “broad themes raised by complainants”, including maladministration and specific instances of alleged serious misconduct by members of NSW Police.
The footage, captured by the male officer’s own body-worn camera, shows him saying: “I f—ing pumped that c—”, and shortly after, “then I punched him in the head when he was down”. A female officer laughs and responds saying “I saw that”.
A spokeswoman for NSW Police said: “The NSWPF is aware of the video. The NSWPF is unable to comment as there is an ongoing Law Enforcement Conduct Commission investigation into the police operation at Town Hall.”
Higginson, who is the Greens justice spokesperson, said the footage was “damning”. She called for the officers involved to be immediately suspended, and for an investigation into the others present in the video.
“The LECC is already investigating the actions of the police that night, but this evidence warrants immediate action by the NSW Police,” Higginson said in a statement.
“We must ensure the community is not exposed to an officer [who] has bragged about and laughed about punching a person in head after they had already been restrained, and I have no doubt was then charged with an offence.”
Higginson said she had witnessed police operate with “impunity” during the demonstration, something she attributed to the Minns government suppressing protest with “invalidly made laws”.
Higginson told the Herald she believed the video had come from a brief of evidence in a case against a person charged during the February protest.
In response to broad criticism of the police operation, NSW Police commissioner Mal Lanyon said in February body-worn camera footage would be reviewed, but he defended the actions of officers.
“The police did what they needed to do, which was to hold the line and then form and move the protesters back with a view dispersing them,” Lanyon said.
“That was designed to keep the community safe. An angry and violent mob marching on police is not a situation I want our officers in.”
In February, Premier Chris Minns also defended policing of the protest, saying officers had done “everything possible” to avoid clashing with protesters, and they needed to make decisions in a “difficult situation”.
Asked about a specific video of a man being punched by officers despite appearing to have his hands up, Minns said while the footage did not “look good” the actions of police shouldn’t be judged by clips on social media.
“It doesn’t take into consideration the immediate situation prior to that confrontation,” Minns said at the time.
A spokesman for Police Minister Yasmin Catley said: “The LECC is examining the events of that evening, as is entirely appropriate. It is independent of government and must be allowed to do its work. We have confidence in that process and will let it run its course.”
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Max Maddison is a state political reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.
