Disturbing moment a white police officer threatens to smash an Aboriginal man’s phone before cops dragged him through the courts – and it all comes down to a $2.40 bus fare
- Jock Norris filmed a policeman threaten to smash his phone in Victoria in 2017
- The 26-year-old was denied from getting on a bus by the driver who called police
- Mr Norris recorded their encounter for his safety and ran from the scene in fear
- He was charged with allegations that weren’t supported by his video evidence
- Lawyer said would have been hard for an Aboriginal man to defend without video
An Aboriginal man has recorded the moment a police officer threatened to smash his mobile phone out of his hand during a dispute about a $2.40 bus fare.
Jock Norris shot the video in Drouin in West Gippsland, Victoria in 2017 after a bus driver denied him from getting on a bus before he topped up his Myki card.
The 26-year-old Aboriginal man told Daily Mail Australia the bus driver called the police who got out of the car and approached him to ask if he needed help.
‘I said ‘no I don’t need their help’,’ he said.
‘The bus driver called (police on me). I reckon he was a racist himself.’
Jock Norris filmed a policeman (pictured) threatening to smash his phone out of his hand in Drouin in West Gippsland, Victoria in 2017
Mr Norris said he was worried when police arrived so grabbed his phone to video the encounter.
‘I was kind of nervous for what was going to happen,’ he said. ‘I didn’t want to get arrested. That’s why I started recording, for my own safety.’
In the video, the officer says: ‘If you record it, I’m going to smash it out of your hand.’
When Mr Norris asks why, the officer responds ‘because I want to.’
The footage shows Mr Norris leaving the scene in fear after the officer’s threat.
‘I started running,’ he said.
‘I live close… I ran and and started screaming out to my Mum.’
Mr Norris said he was known to police in the area.
‘They intimidate me and follow me around town all because of who I am and my race,’ he said.
Following the incident, Mr Norris received a fine and other allegations in the mail from police for using abusive language in a public place.
Mr Norris said he ran away screaming from the bus stop in fear after the officer made his threat
‘Police subsequently charged him with a number of criminal charges that were not reflected in the video, including allegations he called the policeman a ‘white dog’,’ Mr Norris’ lawyer Andrew Papadimitropoulos told Daily Mail Australia.
Mr Norris was found guilty in the Magistrates Court, before making an appeal for in County Court.
All charges against him were withdrawn before his scheduled appearance in County Court, where Mr Norris intended to use his video recording as evidence.
Mr Papadimitropoulos said the prosecution withdrew their charges on the basis of no application for costs.
‘My opinion is that they should have been dropped from the start,’ he said. ‘The allegations were not supported by the video.
‘It would have been difficult for a young Aboriginal man to defend the allegations, but for the fact they were captured on video.’
Police made allegations that Mr Norris called the policeman a ‘white dog’ in their encounter
Barrister Leonard Hartnett said the whole case was ‘outrageous’.
‘We thought it was a worthy appeal. My memory is that the DPP got in touch and said they would withdraw the charges, which on the record would be a victory for us but they wouldn’t pay our costs,’ he said.
‘I remember my jaw dropping. It was quite unusual they would withdraw charges and then bargain over costs in a criminal matter.’
Mr Norris re-posted the video online on Tuesday in response to global protests and demonstrations through the Black Lives Matter movement after the death of George Floyd.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Victoria Police and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions for comment.
Mr Norris reposted the video on Tuesday in response to global attention to police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement