Additional info on the cop who is a person of interest (calling him Cop P). Footage linked below. Not saying he's involved with this at all, but it's relevant recent history that was all over the media.
Cop P and partner were on patrol, saw an Aboriginal man with his girlfriend walking around. THe man was holding a bag, and fled when he saw them (cops suspected theft). There's footage of a cop (Cop P or his partner) yelling 'get the on the ground' on the ground, and the man sat down his hands open and palms up showing he had no weapons. The man was sitting in front of the fence with both cops in front of him standing - Cop P had his taser pointed at the man. Both cops grabbed the man pretty suddenly to try force him face down on the ground, and a split second later the Cop P tasered the man repeatedly in the face, hands, back and torso as he screamed in pain. The man was obviously moving quite a bit due to the taser, and the cop continues tasering as the man screams and writhes in pain.
The Aboriginal man was later charged with 'threatening/assaulting a police officer in the course of duty' but I couldn't find anything about a theft charge. Cop P was cleared of any wrongdoing.
This was 4 years ago, and Cop P only seems to have become a cop in 2019.
Source:
Law on Police Using Tasers in NSW: Indigenous Man Tasered in Face by Police - Criminal Defence Lawyers Australia and linked video
Additional context: Violence against Aboriginal people is a huge issue in Australia - over policed, harsher sentences for the same crime, etc. It's well studied and there was a royal commission (aka public inquiry) about Aboriginal deaths in custody over 30 years ago. The govt. never implemented recommendations.
www.dailymail.co.uk
thewest.com.au
