A WA Police officer has described the moment he was surrounded and attacked outside Optus Stadium in an attempt to seize an ebike he says was being used unlawfully.
An ‘ride-out’ late last December in the city grabbed police attention, with a mass of youths on bikes and scooters reportedly doing wheelies and kicking cars.
Senior Constable Mark Cooper spotted one group of boys at Optus Stadium and told them he would seize a bike after seeing it used unsafely.
Then, as he told a Perth court yesterday, he was surrounded by nearly 30 youths who were yelling at them, one a 16-year-old boy who allegedly moved closer and asked him if he wanted a kiss.
Cooper took it as a headbutt threat and attempted to make an arrest, when the teen allegedly turned violent. Cooper told the court he was punched in the face and pushed against a wall, left with injuries including a cut to his face that needed stitches.
The defence told the court the arrest was unlawful, there was no reasonable threat of an assault, the 16-year-old was only being cheeky by puckering his lips and asking about the kiss, and he had a right to resist.
The case continues today.
9 News Perth
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