Botched bookshop arrest: Top cop’s angry response to Fiona Patten

Victoria’s police chief has slammed an upper house MP’s description of a bungled raid in Fitzroy.

Nik Dimopoulos had his arm broken when he ran from police, who wrongly believed he was a wanted man.

The actions of the officers has become the centre of debate after Victoria Police initially apologised, before the police union said audio recordings of the incident proved the officers had done nothing wrong.

Reason Party leader Fiona Patten, a friend of Mr Dimopoulos, says police were “racing in wearing jack boots putting torches in (his) face,” so it’s little wonder he ran.

Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton today wouldn’t be drawn into commenting on whether the officers were at fault — “I certainly haven’t blamed (the officers) for what’s happened” — but did not hold back when it came to Ms Patten.

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“Yeah, that’s not what Victoria Police do,” a clearly frustrated Mr Ashton told Neil Mitchell.

“Police are out there day in, day out, getting punched, kicked, spat on, ragdolled, rammed, and they’re doing that on behalf of the community.

“I’d just ask for a bit of reason to be brought into that thinking, and that discussion, because that’s just so unhelpful for our police.”

Click PLAY for the full interview