Queensland police are under scrutiny after a graphic video emerged showing an officer repeatedly and violently punching a driver at the site of a multi-vehicle collision in Strathpine, north of Brisbane.
The Strathpine incident took place around 2pm on Thursday.
The dramatic footage reveals the driver, still in his car post-collision, attempting to get out of his vehicle with his legs hanging out the window, as a police officer lands multiple punches on him.
At each attempt to exit his car, the officer strikes the driver through the side window repeatedly in a brutal manner.
A firefighter eventually intervenes, halting the officer's brutality amid distressed cries from bystanders shouting to the officer, "you can't do that."
The man finally manage to open the car door and moves to leave the vehicle, but is then tasered by the police.
In a statement, Queensland Police claimed that the officer was responding to the crash at the intersection of Gympie and Samsonvale roads and encountered a "highly agitated male driver." Police allege the man was drinking from a wine bottle and appeared intoxicated. As per the statement, the officer attempted to remove the bottle several times, only to have it thrown towards him.
Despite repeated orders to stay in the car, the man allegedly continued to try to exit, purportedly kicking the door into the officer, who then used force to keep him inside. The man was tasered after ignoring verbal warnings not to leave the vehicle, police said.
The police statement further alleges that the man spat on another officer who arrived at the scene. Following his arrest, the man was taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, where he remains.
Queensland police says that senior officers have reviewed body-worn camera footage of the incident as investigation continues.
DEVELOPING: Shocking video has emerged in the aftermath of a car crash in Strathpine this afternoon.
Witnesses have told #9News they saw a car crash before capturing a violent interaction with an officer on video.
More to come.
WATCH LIVE at 6pm for a FULL report. #9News pic.twitter.com/sLCPYOc86y
— 9News Queensland (@9NewsQueensland) June 22, 2023
In another shocking incident back in April 2023, an off-duty police constable was caught on camera head-butting a 14-year-old Indigenous teenager during a late-night dispute outside a McDonald's in regional Queensland.
Reacting to the distressing event that time, Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll confirmed the launch of an Ethical Standards Command investigation. She characterized the officer's behavior as "inappropriate," signalling serious concerns over the conduct within the force.
