Shocking footage has emerged overnight of a Victorian Police Officer assaulting a disability pensioner inside a police station.
It’s not like this exact same thing has happened before in the state of Victoria or anything…but this footage is particularity horrifying.
In 2013, Phil Dickson had been arrested for drink driving and assaulting an officer, charges to which he plead guilty.
After taking off his belt and throwing it to the ground, as part of mandatory procedure, the cop holding him grabbed Mr Dickson by the throat, slapped him over the head and then threw him to the ground, all while one of his co-workers awkwardly did nothing in the background. Watch the footage courtesy of ABC here.
Mr Dickson later complained to the police professional standards unit, which resulted in officer Michael Cooke pleading guilty to assault….and earning himself a year (paid) off work.
Watch eerily similar footage of police taking down a disability pensioner last year
The footage was shared as part of a wider investigation with 730 Report that is looking at police brutality throughout the country (no doubt a treasure trove of cases has been uncovered).
“I had a break in that knuckle. I had a torn ligament in my shoulder” said Mr Dickson about the events.
Mr Dickson now volunteers at a local charity shop
Official medical records stated that Dickson had become to rowdy in his cell and had to be physically restrained, causing him to hit his head- an awkward statement given the footage.
“Make no mistake, this is not the manner in which we expect our officers to behave. We do not condone violence” said a spokesman for Victoria Police.
“There is no doubt the CCTV footage was confronting and was considered by the hearing officer, however Victoria Police must take into account a range of factors such as the court verdict, character references and relevant employment law when making a decision about an officer’s ongoing employment.”
No doubt the report is bound to stir up some ill-will amoungst the community, for which we kindly point you to New Zealender’s hilarious way of dealing with police frustration.
