Footage appearing to show a police officer striking a grounded man with a baton after a street brawl has sparked an internal investigation.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Police were called after reports of a fight between several people outside a pub in Yea in regional Victoria on Friday night.
Footage aired by Seven News shows the officer striking a man in the leg with a baton after demanding he get on the ground.
As the man drops, the officer appears to hit him again, this time on the upper body, and yells for the man to get on his stomach.
Once the man is on his stomach, the officer appears to hit him with the baton a third time.
"Victoria Police have become aware of footage which shows the conduct of one officer in the latter stages of this incident," Victoria Police said in a statement.
"The matter has been referred to Professional Standards Command for review."
A police spokesperson said body-worn camera footage had been reviewed and showed a Taser was not deployed during the incident.
"The first police on scene were outnumbered, confronted with a highly dynamic scene and had to deploy OC spray to separate those involved in the fight," Victoria Police said.
According to the statement, one of the men who had been sprayed then kicked out and punched at an officer.
"While police were attempting to subdue that man, a woman has allegedly jumped on the back of a police officer while the second man attempted to grab the officer's firearm," police said.
"OC spray was again deployed and all three were taken into custody."
Two men and a woman, all aged in their 20s, have been charged with various offences including affray, assault police and fail to leave licensed premises.
They were bailed to appear at Mansfield Magistrates Court on September 18.
Australian Associated Press
