An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arrest of an Aboriginal teenager in the inner Sydney suburb of Surry Hills on the weekend has been welcomed by the NSW Premier and her Police Minister.
After video footage of the incident was posted on social media that showed a NSW police officer kicking the handcuffed boy's legs from underneath him leading to the boy landing head-first onto pavers, NSW Police yesterday placed the officer on restricted duties and revealed the incident was being investigated internally.
Late Monday, the NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian told media she she was concerned about the incident.
"We still have a long way to go in our country," she said.
"And I appreciate the actions the police have taken in relation to that in terms of restricting the duties of the officer involved. They're investigating the matter.
"What happened in the US is a good wake-up call for all of us, and I think that all of us have our hearts breaking as to what's happening in the United States.
"And we have to ensure that we can do what we can in our own country to protect all of our citizens."
NSW Police Minister David Elliott said he had also seen the video and that the internal investigation will review the actions taken by the officer.
Stills from the video of a police officer arresting an Indigenous teenager in Sydney. Source: NITV News
"The young fellow has gone home. The police are engaging with his family about the matter," Mr Elliott said in a statement to NITV News.
"And of course there will be a review of the standard operating procedures to make sure that all of those procedures were complied with."
Central Metropolitan Region Commander Mick Willing said the investigation will be conducted "thoroughly and openly" but expressed concern that the video could be used to "inflame" and turn the situation into "something that it is not".
"We're all aware of incidents that have taken place in the United States and other parts of the world, and we are very aware of the sensitivities of what's occurring overseas," he said.
"As the region commander here, am I concerned about what I've seen in that footage?
"Absolutely, I am concerned, but I'm equally concerned about others who may use this footage to inflame it and turn it into something that it's not."
Mr Willing said it was important to allow the investigation by the NSW Police professional standards command to take its course.
"We'll get to the bottom of what's happened and we'll continue to work with the community until we get to the bottom of what's happened," he said.
The NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said the officer could have handled the situation better, but he must have "had a bad day" to react to the teenager the way he did.
"The fact that this officer doesn't have a chequered history and he has been in [the police force] for three and a half years, if the complaint is sustained against him, you would have to say he has had a bad day."
