A Victorian police officer has been found guilty of assault after tasering a suspect nine times in less than a minute during an arrest two years ago. The incident occurred in Warragul, 100km southeast of Melbourne, when police responded to a family violence call.
Body-Worn Camera Footage Reveals Incident
Body-worn camera footage showed police entering a home in Warragul. Just 20 seconds after arriving, officers confronted a man found in a bedroom, threatening him with pepper spray. “Hands behind your back now, or you get f***ing sprayed,” an officer can be heard saying. The man was hit with pepper spray and then tasered repeatedly, despite his pleas to stop.
Aftermath and Injuries
Eventually, he was handcuffed and wrestled into a divisional van. Officers could be heard discussing the incident afterwards, with one saying: “Once he got sprayed, he started resisting quite aggressively.” Another responded: “I don’t know why he’d do that, to be honest. Why would you resist these days?” In the aftermath, officers washed blood off their hands, took statements, and called paramedics.
Legal Consequences and Civil Suit
The arrested man suffered head injuries and heart palpitations and is now suing Victoria Police, alleging the psychological trauma was far worse. The officer claimed he was acting in self-defence but was convicted of 10 counts of assault. He was fined $11,000 and suspended without pay but will not be jailed.
