Just saw this in the paper and wow... How can the guy not even cop an official reprimand? Not saying the girl didn't do anything wrong, but surely that is unnecessary force.
Teenage girl 'body-slammed' at Flinders Street Station
Two teenage girls have been charged with assault after a confrontation with ticket inspectors in which one girl was picked up and slammed into the ground after hitting an officer in the face.
Closed-circuit footage of the incident, at Flinders Street Station on July 31, shows the girl bypassing the myki barriers and walking through an open gate, then being grabbed by the clothing by a Metro authorised officer.
The girl turns and hits the man in the face. He then picks her up and slams her into the ground in a move similar to an illegal rugby spear tackle.
The footage was obtained by state Greens leader Greg Barber, who said it revealed ''brutal and unnecessary treatment by a private company, Metro, against people it calls its 'customers'''.
''This sort of violence wouldn't even be allowed on a rugby field and should never have been used against a slight, 15-year-old female,'' Mr Barber said. ''The effect could have been fatal, or even more likely, the girl could have been paralysed for life.''
Despite the high level of physical force used in restraining the girl, the Metro inspector has not been charged. Rather, the girl and a friend who is alleged to have spat at an officer have been charged with assault and will appear before the Children's Court.
The officers involved were cleared after an investigation by the Transport Department. The department's investigating officer, Alan Gosland, finalised his inquiry on September 20, finding there had been no excessive use of force.
''It is my finding that a circumstance referred to in section 221(a) of the act [excessive use of force] had not occurred and [the officer] exercised his functions as an authorised officer reasonably,'' Mr Gosland wrote.
Yet in an earlier email Mr Gosland conceded that the officer may have used excessive force.
The authorised officer who slammed the girl to the ground later completed a Use of Force Incident Form, as required whenever an inspector is involved in a physical altercation. He stated that he used force to prevent her escape, having used ''verbal reasoning … to de-escalate the situation initially''.
''Assaulted by the offender, punched in the face and bitten on left upper thigh when told to loosen hold due to offender saying she couldn't breathe,'' he wrote.
Neither the officer nor the girl was injured, the report states.
A spokesman for the department said he could not comment, as the matter is due before the court.
After viewing the footage, Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder said he was ''really concerned'', promising the incident would be ''fully investigated''.
With Josh Gordon
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/teenage-girl-bodyslammed-at-flinders-street-station-20131209-2z02r.html#ixzz2n1myEr5J
Teenage girl 'body-slammed' at Flinders Street Station
Two teenage girls have been charged with assault after a confrontation with ticket inspectors in which one girl was picked up and slammed into the ground after hitting an officer in the face.
Closed-circuit footage of the incident, at Flinders Street Station on July 31, shows the girl bypassing the myki barriers and walking through an open gate, then being grabbed by the clothing by a Metro authorised officer.
The girl turns and hits the man in the face. He then picks her up and slams her into the ground in a move similar to an illegal rugby spear tackle.
The footage was obtained by state Greens leader Greg Barber, who said it revealed ''brutal and unnecessary treatment by a private company, Metro, against people it calls its 'customers'''.
''This sort of violence wouldn't even be allowed on a rugby field and should never have been used against a slight, 15-year-old female,'' Mr Barber said. ''The effect could have been fatal, or even more likely, the girl could have been paralysed for life.''
Despite the high level of physical force used in restraining the girl, the Metro inspector has not been charged. Rather, the girl and a friend who is alleged to have spat at an officer have been charged with assault and will appear before the Children's Court.
The officers involved were cleared after an investigation by the Transport Department. The department's investigating officer, Alan Gosland, finalised his inquiry on September 20, finding there had been no excessive use of force.
''It is my finding that a circumstance referred to in section 221(a) of the act [excessive use of force] had not occurred and [the officer] exercised his functions as an authorised officer reasonably,'' Mr Gosland wrote.
Yet in an earlier email Mr Gosland conceded that the officer may have used excessive force.
The authorised officer who slammed the girl to the ground later completed a Use of Force Incident Form, as required whenever an inspector is involved in a physical altercation. He stated that he used force to prevent her escape, having used ''verbal reasoning … to de-escalate the situation initially''.
''Assaulted by the offender, punched in the face and bitten on left upper thigh when told to loosen hold due to offender saying she couldn't breathe,'' he wrote.
Neither the officer nor the girl was injured, the report states.
A spokesman for the department said he could not comment, as the matter is due before the court.
After viewing the footage, Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder said he was ''really concerned'', promising the incident would be ''fully investigated''.
With Josh Gordon
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/teenage-girl-bodyslammed-at-flinders-street-station-20131209-2z02r.html#ixzz2n1myEr5J
