The sister of the Indigenous teen who was kicked to the ground during an arrest in Sydney this week says the police officer involved should be charged.
Key points:
- Video of Monday's arrest has been circulated widely on social media
- The boy sustained minor injuries in the incident
- His sister claimed the incident was not isolated and had been happening in Australia "for a very long time"
The woman, who has not been named for legal reasons, said the constable's force was "unnecessary and irresponsible" and that her family was feeling "anger and frustration".
"We want to be able to develop better relationships between the police and the youth of our community, and this won't happen if we allow officers to feel they are entitled to abuse us without facing proper consequences," she said.
"This police officer must be charged so we don't have to deal with another incident like this and I truly hope this is a turning point within our community and the police."
A video of the 16-year-old being arrested in a Surry Hills park on Monday afternoon has been widely circulated on social media.
Whether the officer used excessive force in the arrest is the subject of an internal police investigation.
He has been put on restricted duties.
Human rights lawyer George Newhouse of the National Justice Project said the family had instructed him to launch a private prosecution if charges are not laid.
This morning, NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said the constable involved "had a bad day" but told radio station 2GB that: "Not for one minute am I saying the officer's actions were correct."
NSW Police Central Metropolitan Region Commander Mick Willing yesterday said officers had a good relationship with the area's Indigenous community.
"Am I concerned about what I've seen in that footage? Absolutely, I am concerned, but I'm equally concerned about others who may use this footage to inflame it and turn it into something that it's not," he said.
The boy's sister acknowledged the incident occurred amid global outrage over the death of African-American man George Floyd while being arrested in Minneapolis.
"What is happening is America has been happening in Australia for a very long time," she said.
"We aren't inciting fear or violence by telling our stories, we are shedding the light again about the way Indigenous peoples are treated.
"This isn't the first time something has happened like this with our people. Maybe this time people will take listen and take action."
The father of the arrested teen invited the group to come together to "bow the knee" as gesture of support for the current worldwide protests.
"What I want to do is acknowledge the George Floyd family, we are in solidarity with you and what's happening in America," he said.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said watching the video cemented her belief that "we still have a long way to go in our country".
Greens MP David Shoebridge, who spoke at today's press conference, said the boy's family represented the "reality of what it means to be a First Nations community member in 2020".
The teen has not faced any charges and sustained minor injuries in the incident.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMia2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA2LTAzL25zdy1wb2xpY2Utb2ZmaWNlci1pbi1pbmRpZ2Vub3VzLWFycmVzdC12aWRlby1mYW1pbHktc3BlYWtzLzEyMzE2MjI20gEnaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuYWJjLm5ldC5hdS9hcnRpY2xlLzEyMzE2MjI2?oc=5
2020-06-03 05:12:20Z
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