New South Wales Police have defended the actions of an officer who was filmed appearing to repeatedly punch a man during an arrest at a Sydney train station. The confrontation occurred on a platform at Cabramatta train station on Monday evening and was captured by shocked commuters.
The six-second video clip, which police acknowledge shows an "isolated moment," depicts an officer with one knee pinning a man face down on the ground while striking his upper body multiple times as bystanders observe. A NSW Police spokeswoman stated that the officer employed an "approved maneuver to affect the arrest."
Body-worn camera footage from the arresting officers has been reviewed by the commander, according to the police spokeswoman. Police allege the 21-year-old man spat at an officer and assaulted several others after being taken to a hospital. He faces 10 charges, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assaulting a frontline emergency worker, and resisting police.
Police were initially called to the area following reports of a man armed with a knife acting aggressively toward female commuters in nearby Canley Vale. The man allegedly assaulted a commuter who attempted to intervene before boarding a train to Cabramatta, where he reportedly continued to threaten passengers. He attempted to flee from police but was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit.
During the arrest, officers repeatedly directed the man to show his hands, given the public's reports of him being in possession of a knife. According to police, the man failed to comply with these directions, leading the officer to utilize the maneuver.
The man appeared in court on Tuesday and was refused bail. Police Minister Yasmin Catley commented that the force is reviewing the body-worn camera footage and that the full circumstances should be considered before further statements are made.
The incident has drawn mixed reactions online, with some viewers asserting the officer used excessive force, while others defend the police response given the alleged circumstances.