A video depicting an off-duty police officer restraining a 13-year-old girl on a train in Perth has surfaced on social media, raising serious concerns about the use of force during the incident.<\/p>\n
The teenager claims that she was forcefully held down by the officer while attempting to intervene in an ongoing robbery on the train, resulting in injuries. Her family has expressed distress over the incident, characterizing the officer’s actions as excessively violent. Western Australia Police have confirmed that they are investigating the officer’s conduct.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, April 12, footage captured on a Perth train shows a middle-aged man in plain clothes lying on top of the girl, who is on the floor. In the video, the girl can be heard yelling at the officer to let her go.<\/p>\n
Identifying himself as a police officer, the man subsequently picked the girl up and threw her onto a row of vacant seats, where he restrained her against the window with his leg, stating, “Sit up here. You’re under arrest.”<\/p>\n
As her friend expresses concern for the girl’s safety, the girl, who has not been named for legal reasons, can be seen holding her head in pain after it collided with the train window frame. The officer continues to pin her down with his knee for several minutes, despite her protests that she is not resisting.<\/p>\n
The girl reported that she and her friends were involved in a dispute with some boys on the train who were attempting to rob them. When the officer intervened, she claims she struck him in the face after he pushed her chest. She described the push as forceful, indicating she would not have reacted otherwise, but quickly apologized, unaware he was a police officer.<\/p>\n
During the confrontation, the girl shouted in frustration, “You just f***ing slammed my head into the f***ing thing!” The officer responded, “Yep. Because I don’t want to get punched again.” The girl reiterated that no one was going to punch him and stated, “I retaliated in the wrong way! That’s it!”<\/p>\n
A bystander, witnessing the situation, approached the officer, expressing that he believed the level of force used was unnecessary. The girl, distressed and unable to move, made threats against the officer, stating she would have her father come down to confront him.<\/p>\n
Identifying herself as a Noongar Yamatji teenager, the girl expressed to the media that the incident caused her significant emotional distress, including a panic attack. She described feeling powerless, stating, “If I didn’t put my hand behind my head when I was flung onto the seat, I could have been dead.” She conveyed feelings of racism and hurt throughout the experience and reported ongoing physical pain since the event.<\/p>\n
The girl\u2019s relative expressed anger upon learning about the incident, acknowledging the generally respectful role of the WA Police but condemning the officer’s violent behavior.<\/p>\n
They also expressed gratitude towards the bystander who intervened, noting that his presence was crucial during the ordeal.<\/p>\n
The incident has drawn criticism from officials, including Sue-Anne Hunter, the National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, who described the video as “deeply disturbing.” She called for an immediate investigation by WA Police into the use of “unreasonable force,” highlighting the ongoing violence faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth.<\/p>\n
WA Police have stated that they are conducting an internal investigation into the officer’s actions, who remains on active duty during this process. They noted that the officer intervened in a dispute between two groups of youths and reported sustaining minor injuries during the altercation. Following the incident, the 13-year-old girl was charged with common assault and given a juvenile caution.<\/p>\n
WA Police Minister Reece Whitby commented that the situation is being reviewed, emphasizing the expectation for all officers to maintain professionalism. He assured that a thorough investigation is underway, including a review of internal processes and video footage.<\/p>\n
Jacqueline McGowan-Jones, the WA Commissioner for Children and Young People, also criticized the officer’s methods, stating that there were alternative, less forceful ways to manage the situation effectively.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A video depicting an off-duty police officer restraining a 13-year-old girl on a train in Perth has surfaced on social media, raising serious concerns about the use of force during the incident. The teenager claims that she was forcefully held down by the officer while attempting to intervene in an ongoing robbery on the train, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11516,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2297,43,427,64],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-au-assault","category-australia","category-au-indigenous-australians","category-au-police"],"yoast_head":"\n