Dramatic footage shows a woman screaming and scrambling as she is ripped from her car by police at a Victorian virus checkpoint. Now police have responded.
Hair-raising footage has emerged of a Victoria Police officer dragging a terrified woman by her feet from her car at a coronavirus checkpoint.
Natalie Bonett shares a video of the moment police drag her from her car at a coronavirus checkpoint. Picture: Natalie Bonett/ FacebookSource:Facebook
Police say they expect to charge a woman shown in confronting footage being physically dragged from her car by a police officer at a coronavirus checkpoint in Victoria.
In a video shared on social media by Natalie Bonett, she claimed she was going through a checkpoint in the town of Wallan, which was something she said she did “every single day”.
“The police officer told me that it was against the law to have my phone on a car charger mount on my windshield,” she wrote in a public Facebook post.
“I was in disbelief. He then attempted to get into my vehicle at which I started recording
“They called for backup and had four police officers grab me by the legs and pull me out of my car and arrest me.
“While trying to cuff me they had their knees in my back and I couldn’t breathe.
On Sunday afternoon police released a statement confirming officers spoke to Ms Bonett “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 police spokesman alleged that Ms Bonett refused to supply her details and driver’s licence which are offences under the Road Safety Act.
“The woman was warned that if she did not provide her details, she would be arrested,” the spokesman said.
“She still refused and was asked by police to get out of her car. When she refused this request, she was taken from the car by officers and taken into custody.
“The Wallan woman 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.”
Ms Bonett has since told the Herald Sun that four officers constricted her airways during the dramatic arrest.
“Before I recorded them (the police) I said I would show my licence, and I always do, I just wanted to talk to someone else so I (felt) comfortable,” she told the Herald Sun.
Natalie Bonett, 29, said she dragged from her car by police at the virus checkpoint. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied
Ms Bonett said she suffered from an auto-immune disorder and mental health issues, and she did not feel comfortable getting out of her car.
“They cuffed me, they were being so rough… my airways were constricted by how they were kneeing me on my back.”
In the footage Ms Bonett shared, she questioned why she was being asked to get out of the car over a phone charger, which she said “is sold everywhere.”
Ms Bonett can be heard telling police she would not get out of the car because she didn’t “feel safe”.
Police say they are expecting to charge 29-year-old Natalie Bonett, who uploaded a video of her being dragged from her car by police. Picture: Natalie Bonett/ FacebookSource:NCA NewsWire
In response, Ms Bonett says in the video: “I don’t feel safe. You’re attempting to get into my vehicle.”
A police officer can then be seen opening the driver door, shocking Ms Bonett who yells “what are you doing?”
As police attempt to unbuckle her seatbelt, a visibly shaken Ms Bonett says “why? excuse me! What the f*** are you doing?
The 29-year-old woman can be heard in the video telling the officer she didn’t feel safe. Picture: Natalie Bonett/ FacebookSource:Facebook
Ms Bonett becomes physically responsive, as she battles against the police officer attempting to remove her from her car, shouting “Get the f*** off me! What the f*** are you doing?!”
She is then visibly dragged from the car, as the male passenger climbs over to the driver’s seat asking police to relax and let her go.
Liberal MP Tim Smith described the alleged ordeal as “ugly” and a “massive overreach of police power.”
“I won’t jump to any further conclusions as context is important, but there had better be a good explanation by the Andrews Labor government tomorrow,” he said when sharing the video on Twitter on Saturday night.
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