A violent scuffle between transport police and a man who allegedly threatened to throw them on the tracks at a Melbourne train station has been caught on camera.
Shocking footage shows the confrontation between Protective Services Officers and a 26-year-old at Merri railway station in the city’s north on Wednesday evening.
The two PSOs used pepper-spray before repeatedly striking the man during the course of his dramatic arrest, just after 8pm.
The video, filmed by a commuter, shows the man cowering as he is held by an officer while the other hits him with a baton.
A violent scuffle unfolded between transport police and a man who allegedly threatened to throw them on the tracks at a Melbourne train station
‘It was very, very shocking and like, quite distressing to see,’ the man who filmed the incident told the ABC.
‘After seeing him be sprayed twice in the face, I could see a second PSO pull out his baton and start hitting the man in the kneecaps when he was disoriented.’
Police allege the man became verbally abusive before physically assaulting one of the officers.
‘He was making threats to the PSO, including threatening to throw the PSO… off the platform onto the tracks,’ Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton told ABC Radio.
But, in light of the vision, he said the altercation would most likely be reviewed by the Professional Standards Command.
One of the officers sustained minor facial injuries during the altercation, a police spokesman said.
Police allege the man became verbally abusive before physically assaulting one of the officers
The incident unfolded at Merri railway station (pictured) in Melbourne’s north on Wednesday evening
‘The 26-year-old man from no fixed address resisted arrest and O/C spray and batons were used to subdue him,’ they said.
‘He was arrested, interviewed and charged with assault emergency services worker and bailed to appear at court at a later date.’
President of the Public Transport Users Association, Daniel Bowen, told 3AW it seemed the footage didn’t reveal the whole story.
‘Obviously a very alarming piece of footage, however we don’t know what sparked that particular incident,’ he said.
‘You can only hope there has been and will be a full investigation using whatever CCTV might be available that shows the incident from start to finish.’
Anyone who witnessed the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
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