Teenager says police treatment was disgraceful

[emir3008]

UPDATE 3.22pm: THE teenager at the centre of a 100-person after-school brawl says police treatment of him was disgraceful.

The 13-year-old said yesterday’s ugly scenes were triggered after he stood up to a group of students earlier in the week when they picked on him and two female friends.

"They just kept picking on me and my two friends a couple of days ago so I just stood up to them,’’ the Year 8 student at Craigieburn Secondary College said.

Craigieburn: Police conduct searches amid fears of more violence

"I said some stupid s---, I apologised and they couldn’t handle it."

The teen said he arranged for his elder sister to pick him up because he was worried things might become ugly.

"After school I was walking away, they just followed me, about 50 kids,’’ he said.

"They’re all mates and cousins."

When asked if his attackers were part of a gang, he replied: "That’s what they think."

Amid the wild scenes that took place in a supermarket car park yesterday, the teen and his sister were eventually handcuffed and arrested.

They are both expected to face charges.

The teen said the way police officers handled him was "ridiculous".

"Yesterday was just disgraceful," he said. "It’s just ridiculous.

"I’m only 13 and they’re handling me like that.

The boy's sister says she was repeatedly doused with capsicum spray as she went to help her brother.

The 24-year-old woman says she watched the ugly scenes unfold when she went to pick him up from school.

She said she saw a group of students following her brother as she waited to pick him up.

"I heard something was going to happen after school. That’s why I was going to pick my brother up," she said.

"Young kids just started mouthing off to my little brother.

"They were yelling out they were going to kill him, that they were going to bash him till he was black and blue.’’

She said she was arguing with a teacher when the police arrived.

"The teacher pointed out me and (my brother). They threw him on the bonnet of the car.

"I tried to grab my brother. That’s when I got pepper sprayed about five times."

The woman said a policeman kept spraying her in the face even though she couldn’t see.

"He pushed against the divvy van and kneed me in the side of my leg - I’ve got bruises and everything - so I fell to the ground,’’ she said.

"I could hear my little brother screaming. He was in back of the divvy that I was leaning against. I could hear the whole car moving because he was freaking out."

The boy’s mother said the police’s treatment of her son was uncalled for.

She said he was left with marks from the handcuffs.

"If they had said, 'What’s going on?’ (he) would have explained the situation,’’ she said.

"The way he was dealt with was a disgrace, like he’s a criminal.

"My son could have been bashed to death. The coppers turned up, thank God. They made it worse. The way they handled it was uncalled for."

The boy's mother said she believed there was a Samoan gang at the school.

"I honestly do. At the shops, especially at that milk bar, every day after school there’s about 30 Samoan kids that gather there,’’ she said.

Police say they used capsicum spray to fight off two boys, 13 and 17, and a 24-year-old woman.

All three are expected to face assault and affray charges on summons.

A 38-year-old man, believed to be a parent, is also expected to be charged on summons over hindering police.

Teen at centre of Craigieburn brawl criticises police treatment of him | Herald Sun

Anyone else see this on the news?

I rekon he should be praising the police, shit id rather get pepper sprayed and man handled into the back of a van then get belted by 100 samoans.

And apparently round 2 is tonight haha.

[tim005]

still a bit steep for a 13 year old kid, thats year 8, i can't even imagine how scared the young kid would have been.
lets think about it from a coppas point of view, "i can either arrest 50 of these massive samoans or one little skinny white boy", typical laziness.

[TVR-190]

Im a bit so so about these sort of articles.

there's 2 sides to every story.

But we all know that SOME police are known to overreact.....

[Ace_VP]

sounds like it wasnt a good thing to be involved in. But there are two sides to every story. Im not going to defend the police, if they acted in an over the top manner then they should be dealt with.

Its hard to work out who is who and who has done what when you arrive at a brawl with 50-100 people there. Pepper spray is not only used to stop offenders, its used when a violent confrontation is occuring or likely to occur, so that means that everyone can get sprayed to break it up to allow police to work out what is going on. Walking up to a brawl and simply saying "So, whats happening" doesnt really have much off an effect, usually you need to break it up first.

It also states in the article that when police have arrived the teacher has fingered them out, I would do the same and grab them If i didnt know what was going on, you have a split second to work out whats going on and who is the offender before everyone piss bolts. If the cops grab the wrong person resisting and arguing to the point where you need to be sprayed doesnt help your cause.

[acarmody]

The boy's sister says she was repeatedly doused with capsicum spray as she went to help her brother. When a cop tells you to stop moving/resisting, just go limp, not keep struggling, otherwise they will probably spray you again

"He pushed against the divvy van and kneed me in the side of my leg - I’ve got bruises and everything - so I fell to the ground,’’ A knee in the side of the leg is to get you on the ground, that's pretty much why the cop would of done it

She said he was left with marks from the handcuffs. Well there not much bloody good if they are loose

[VZ_SS]

SIGH.... And we let coconuts in this country why?

[Rusty]

SIGH.... And we let coconuts in this country why?

Hope the resident iron balls sahyre doesnt read that comment!

That is one lucky kid! If the dopy mum and even dopier kid dont appreciate the coppers help then maybe they shouldnt call them next time and compare results.

[Jesterarts]

I'm sorry, but in a situation where the is a handfull of cops trying to deal with a crowd of 50-100, they are not going to ask whats happening and have a discussion.

The reason for this, it todays society where police get little to no respect from a majority of elements in the community, they don't have to care it's its a 13yo, a 24yo, a woman, a man, etc because atthe end of they day a knife to the face is going to do the same damge no matter who is holding it.

It sounds like the situation was pretty wild and tense, I don't blame them for acting in a way that was to defuse the situation as quickly as possible and preserve their own health.

They are not there to take sides or have a chat, that happens at the poice station after when everyone is in a controlled environment.

I can't imagine how frustrating it must be to be a cop and constantly have to face this sort of critisism for doing their job.

[soop]

If you take the article as gospel it almost sounds like the victims were punished.

I wouldn't put it past a group of Samoans to be in the wrong though, Racist? meh. It happens that way so if its racist fuggem.

[satos]

The 13 year old was lucky it wasn't in the old days.
The cops would of given him more then a kick up the backside.

[wikky]

Craigieburn..........a great place for some napalm fieldwork.

[Ado]

Craigieburn..........a great place for some napalm fieldwork.

True its a hole,i was on my way to Roxy at the same time the Broady cops were heading there,I felt like i was i a wheelchair racing at Bathurst,they were passing me left right and center.