THE NSW police watchdog will hold a public hearing next week to determine whether or not the officers who forcefully arrested a naked, 16-year-old youth in Byron earlier this year engaged in ‘serious misconduct’.
But some locals are questioning why the hearing is taking place in Sydney, which effectively prevents the community from seeing justice done.
In a statement released to the media on Wednesday, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission said the hearing would take place on March 26 at the Commission’s Sydney officers and run for ‘a number of days’.
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‘The general scope and purpose of the hearing will be to investigate whether any NSW Police Force officer involved in the apprehension, detention or treatment of a 16-year-old male at Byron Bay in the early hours of 11 January 2018 engaged in serious misconduct,’ the statement said.
The forceful arrest of the youth came to public attention on February 6 when Channel 9’s A Current Affair broadcast CCTV footage of the incident.
It shows an officer repeatedly striking the youth with a baton while three others hold him down.
In a statement to the media NSW Police said the police had been called to the lane by residents at around 2.30am and arrived to find the youth, who appeared to be affected by drugs or alcohol, lying naked in street.
Police said the teenager then became aggressive, necessitating the use of capsicum spray.
The youth then allegedly attempted to assault the officers and was tasered, police said.
Story by Echonetdaily
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If we did that to the police we would be in lots of trouble They are setting “great”example arnt they thats its ok to beat up on someone, if our fearless protectors can do this and say that a defensless person was agressive then we have no hope
Hope those cops go to jail. This has to stop giving them the right to bad up good or drunkor bad someone..