Officers drag elderly man travelling with 'therapy' dog off train
Two Western Australia transit officers who forced a man off a train because of his ‘support’ dog have been cleared of any wrongdoing.
Footage captured on the train shows the two officers forcibly remove the passenger at Mandurah on Monday despite the man telling them one of their colleagues had allowed him to travel with his dog he claims is a support animal.
A heated exchange ensues, culminating in the two guards dragging the man and placing him in on a bench on the platform as his dog scurries along after him.
“I’m not leaving,” the man tells the officers as they try and remove him.
“What we’re going to do is grab your gear and help you off the train,” one guard responds.
“Come on sir, you need to go now,” they say as he begins to resist their advancements.
One stunned witness revealed the man’s behaviour appeared to adhere to the law.
“I just thought this guy’s doing nothing wrong, his dog’s doing nothing wrong,” he told 7News.
Yet the Public Transport Authority has defended the actions of the officers, saying there was “no concern” over the incident, despite the man’s claims his dog was an assistant animal who accompanied him because of a medical condition.
The PTA say the man did not have the proper paperwork on him that would allow him to travel with an animal on WA trains.
“Passengers travelling with assistance animals must carry a valid photo ID of the dog or have a suitably marked dog coat or harness that identifies it,” a spokesperson said.
The PTA says the man was given a verbal warning for his “abusive” behaviour during the incident.
