Police reviewing Broome incident where officer pushes woman during arrest
WA Police are investigating an incident captured on camera in Broome on Tuesday in which a police officer pushed a woman to the ground during a tense arrest of another man.
Footage shared with National Indigenous Times shows police arriving at the scene and other officers holding another person on the ground.
The officer advances towards the Aboriginal woman standing near the arresting officers and pushes her to the ground.
As the woman gets up from the ground after the push, people around her can be heard swearing at the police.
A WA Police spokesman said the woman claimed she interfered with police in the execution of their lawful duties and grabbed officers from behind while they were managing a violent situation.
“Additional police teams arrived at the scene and pushed the woman to the ground. The woman did not report any injuries,” the spokesman said.
Despite this, the spokesperson said “the circumstances of the interaction are being reviewed and will be subject to an internal investigation.”
The spokesman said police responded to a reported disturbance at the Ellies Court residence around 5.50pm.
“During the incident, it will be alleged that a man acted aggressively while the police were dealing with the matter and resisted the police while he was being detained,” the spokesman said.
“It will also be alleged that during the arrest the man assaulted two police officers, causing minor injuries.”
The 39-year-old Millars Well man was charged with two counts of assault on a public servant and appeared in Broome Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
The 37-year-old Broome woman was charged with two counts of obstructing public officials and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia with a prohibited drug or herb in or on her.
He was due to appear before Broome Magistrates Court on April 20.
Police Minister Reece Whitby did not see the vision but said he understood an internal investigation was ongoing.
“Police have certain responsibilities and obligations regarding the way they conduct themselves, but they are also on the front line in communities like Broome,” he said.
“Across the Kimberley and Western Australia, our police are part of the community. They know the people in the community. They live in those communities. They are committed to the communities and are at the forefront of being responsible for public safety.
“So it’s not an easy task, but they still need to make sure they’re doing it the right way.”
Hamish Hastie is WAtoday’s state political correspondent and the winner of five WA Media Awards, including the 2023 Beck Award for best political journalism.Connect with: X or email.
