‘Not on’: Lawyer airs concern over PSO slap and top cop’s response
A lawyer who specialises in police accountability says a PSO’s reaction to being spat on by an 11-year-old boy is “not on” and the chief commissioner’s reaction to the incident is “concerning”.
Press PLAY below to hear why the lawyer is concerned
In footage of the incident obtained by Neil Mitchell, the young boy yells profanities and racial slurs at two PSOs who are restraining him, before spitting on one of them. The PSO appears to respond by slapping the boy.
Principal at Robinson Gill Lawyer, Jeremy King, says there’s “a problem here on a number of levels”.
“It’s not for PSOs or police to mete out punishment or mete out retribution,” he told Neil Mitchell.
“Treating 11-year-olds as criminals and then meting out your own form of retributive punishment is not on. It’s not in accordance with the law and I don’t think it’s acceptable to the Victorian community.”
Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton has defended the PSO’s actions, suggesting the slap may have been a “redirection strike”.
Mr King says that justification is “pretty concerning”.
“I’ve never really heard of a ‘redirection strike’ it sounds like Orwellian double-speak to me.
“The fact that the commissioner comes out and immediately justifies it is also pretty concerning, I think.”