Police officer drags woman out of car at COVID checkpoint
A woman has filmed a dramatic interaction with police at a COVID vehicle checkpoint in north Melbourne, where she was forcibly removed from her vehicle.
Natalie Bonett shared the dramatic footage to her Facebook page this weekend and explained she was going through the Wallan checkpoint, something she does “every single day”, where she produces her license and permit.
However, it appears the problem was unrelated to COVID restrictions, but rather her phone mounted to her windshield.
“I was stopped before even entering the checkpoint and the police officer told me that it was against the law to have my phone on a car charger mount on my windshield to which I was in disbelief, he then attempted to get into my vehicle at which I started recording,” Ms Bonett said on Facebook.
“They called for backup and had 4 police officers grab me by the legs and pull me out of my car and arrested me.
“While trying to cuff me they had their knees in my back and couldn’t breathe.”
In the video, the male officer is heard asking a masked Ms Bonnett for her name and address.
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"The problem is you're not stating your name to me," the officer is heard saying.
Ms Bonett again refused to get out of the car.
"I don't feel safe. You're armed," she said.
"You're safe, don't you worry about that," the officer replied.
The footage then shows the officer lean into the vehicle as Ms Bonett protests, before she is forcibly removed.
Ms Bonett said she recorded a 14 minute video of the incident, showing her being arrested and claims it will leave people “disgusted”.
“I am shaking, crying and in complete disbelief that I was treated this way,” she said.
In a statement, Victoria Police confirmed they arrested a 29-year-old woman for allegedly refusing to provide her details and driver’s licence at a checkpoint in Kalkallo on Saturday, just before 6pm.
“The checkpoints between metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria are an important component in stopping the spread of Coronavirus,” the statement said.
“Police spoke to the female driver at the checkpoint in relation to her mobile phone obstructing her view due to its position on the windscreen and explained that this was an offence.
“The woman refused to remove her phone from the windscreen.”
Police said the woman then refused to provide her details, noting it was an offence to not do so under Section 59 of the Road Safety Act.
“The woman was warned that if she did not provide her details, she would be arrested. She still refused and was asked by police to get out of her car,” the statement said.
“When she refused this request, she was taken from the car by officers and taken into custody.
She was later released and is expected to be charged on summons with driving with obscured vision, fail to produce licence, fail to state her name and address, resist arrest, assault police and offensive language.
Since the video was uploaded to Facebook on Saturday, it has been shared over 5000 times and racked up nearly as many comments.
Yahoo News Australia has reached out to Victoria Police for comment.
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