A 27-year-old man from Gippsland has reached a confidential settlement with Victoria Police following an incident in 2022 that occurred outside a local pub, resulting in him suffering severe injuries that necessitated moving back in with his parents.
Brodie Holt has no recollection of the events from that night and only regained consciousness at The Alfred hospital after being placed in an induced coma. His family reports that his injuries have profoundly affected his relationship with his five-year-old daughter.
In a private resolution of a lawsuit against Victoria Police, Mr. Holt, who sustained permanent brain damage when a police officer fell on him during a problematic arrest, is believed to have settled for a sum in the millions. The agreement was finalized last month in the Supreme Court regarding the incident that took place in Traralgon, his hometown.
At present, Mr. Holt still cannot remember the details of the incident, and he only viewed security footage for the first time recently, approximately four years after the occurrence. Upon witnessing the footage, he described it as “pretty brutal,” stating, “They just treated me like I was some piece of meat.” He expressed that he was pushed around and mishandled, contradicting claims that he fell on his own.
Kellie Holt, his mother and the guardian who initiated the lawsuit, shared that the incident has altered her perception of the police irrevocably. She had to resign from her job at the local supermarket to provide full-time care for her son, who is now entirely dependent on her. “No one is taking accountability for it; they’re just throwing money at it to go away,” she remarked.
Her husband, Joe Holt, expressed a complete loss of trust in law enforcement, stating, “Now I wouldn’t trust them at all. I would never contact them even if someone was trying to break into my house.”
The incident occurred on Mother’s Day in 2022 when Mr. Holt was enjoying a night out with friends at the Hotel Traralgon. The circumstances surrounding the arrest and subsequent events are disputed in court documents reviewed by ABC News.
Mr. Holt’s legal representatives assert that he committed no offenses prior to being arrested and was forcefully escorted from the establishment where he was handcuffed. They contend that he was pushed into a brick doorway and, after spitting on the ground, faced threats and physical aggression from the officers, ultimately leading to him being tackled to the ground, resulting in a head injury when it struck the concrete.
In contrast, Victoria Police maintain that Mr. Holt was arrested due to intoxication and the potential danger he posed to himself and others. They acknowledged that he did strike a brick doorway during the incident but claimed that he spat at the officers and resisted after being handcuffed, necessitating additional restraint.
According to Victoria Police, the officer involved in the takedown of Mr. Holt “lost his footing and balance,” which led to the head injury, asserting that the action was unintentional.
Mr. Holt was first taken to Latrobe Regional Hospital before being airlifted to Melbourne for further treatment. His attorney, Jeremy King from Robinson Gill, stated that the incident was “entirely avoidable.” He emphasized that Mr. Holt’s only fault was perhaps being verbally confrontational with the police, which led to his lifelong brain injury. “He requires care, he won’t be able to work, and he’s very reliant on his parents and family for a lot of support,” King added.
King also noted the challenges of filing complaints against police in regional areas, where the local community dynamic may discourage individuals from coming forward. “You’re effectively trying to complain about your neighbor, and it’s a huge disincentive for people to make complaints,” he explained.
Since the incident, Mr. Holt has returned to live with his parents and depends on them for all aspects of daily life. Joe Holt remarked that it feels like he is “looking out for him all over again.” The family described the experience as akin to living with a forgetful teenager, highlighting the strain on Mr. Holt’s relationship with his daughter. “He was always the doting dad running after her, doing everything for her,” his father recalled, adding that now, Mr. Holt becomes easily irritated by typical childhood behavior. “I wanted a normal life with my son, take him out to the footy… and now I can’t… he’s a different person,” he concluded.
