Earlier this week, a video of police slamming an 18-year-old man to the ground during the Sydney Mardi Gras went viral.
The video showed the young man, Jamie Jackson, crying as a police officer handcuffed him, threw him on the ground and placed his foot on Jackson’s back.
Throughout the arrest, Jackson is yelling “but I didn’t do anything wrong”.
After the video was shared on TV and viewed by more than 1.3 million people on YouTube, there was backlash from the public about the amount of force used by police in their arrest of Jackson. (Jackson was charged with assaulting police, resisting arrest and offensive language.)
More than 2000 people have arranged to march in the Sydney suburb of Surry Hills on Friday night in protest to the way police officers handled Jackson’s arrest.
But now, a new video of the moments before Jackson’s arrest has emerged. In the clip, he appears to be resisting arrest by kicking at officers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgMCaM560bc
Jackson claims he was initially arrested for playfully kicking another Mardi Gras patron.
Top Comments
Still doesn't justify the force used by that officer. No wonder there is no trust in the police force
The guy wouldn't have ended up in that situation if he was co-operated (: the officer only done what he was trained to do. Sorry, but the people with common sense don't feel any sort of pity for him. Rather live in a generation that respect the police than one that thinks it's a good idea to punch, kick and spit on them... whilst be on drugs & intoxicated.
What a ridiculous comment.
So you think that a copper should just cop it sweet when some drunken idiot starts kicking? I hope no one helps you when you get bashed up.
People have been very quick to judge but I think we often forget the role that police play in our community and what a fantastic job they do. I commend the police for doing what they are trained and paid to do. What this incident handled correctly I don't know. I am not an experienced police officer that is trained in diffusing situations like this. To an outsider it is extreme but we do not know the circumstance prior to being arrested (police don't pick you out of a crowd and jump on you) and I don't think the crowd did what was best for the police and the boy being arrested. Give them some space you don't know the incident prior, whether the boy was under the influence of drugs and or alcohol, if he was resisting arrest and you don't want innocent bystanders hurt because of it.