Our NSW police are just way too deadly!

on tuesday 24 april at 1.30pm we will be holding a rally outside the nsw parliament house to protest the violence and abuse of the nsw police as ably exampled by the circumstances at kings cross and 5 police-related deaths in custody so far this year already. we will also be putting to the barry o'farrell government, and police minister mike gallacher specifically, that tasers be withdrawn from the frontline police due to their lethality. despite what barry avers. if you can make it and support us then please do so.
 
help us to make justice not just us!
 
once more even the shooting of two aboriginal teenagers in a stolen car at kings cross focuses the mind on just how violent are our nsw police force and, to extrapolate from that, the police forces of this country.
 
allow me to say that i do not condone car theft or any other crime for that matter but i certainly would argue that the crime is hardly a hanging offence. and yes i have suffered having my car stolen.
 
the stolen car had six young aborigines, aged between 13 and 24, inside of it when the police drew their guns and fired through the windscreen. that they cared not who they shot or even killed goes without saying. as one friend said, why couldn't they shoot the tyres out? they didn't because they are not trained to shoot out tyres, they are trained to shoot to kill. perhaps the occupants were armed, possibly attempting to shoot out the tyres could have led to the death or wounding of civilians. the driver elected to attempt an escape, so we are told, and tasers were useless in this situation so they pulled their glocks and let loose. there was no guarantee that the car would stop possibly causing further mayhem.
 
whatever the rights or wrongs of that situation, what followed was absolute police brutality at its arrogant best. both tv reports and still shots clearly show police exacting their own brand of punishment upon the occupants of the car. not being satisfied, or glad even, that their shots through the windscreen, at least 6 it is reported, did not kill any of the occupants outright the began their extraction of the driver and the front passenger, troy taylor.
 
the driver had been wounded twice, once in the chest and an arm/shoulder wound. troy had a wound to his neck and he was seen to be bleeding profusely from his wound. troy is dragged from the car seat, with force that would of caused him further pain. the officer initiating the extraction is seen to be laying into troy with his fist. it was obvious to anyone watching that troy was definitely not resisting arrest in any manner. whilst on the ground he was also knelt on as they put the cuffs on him. this practice of kneeling or sitting on the victims back is a most dangerous act as was evidenced by the knee-drop from hurley to mulrinji doomadgee in 2004 and the kneeling/sitting on the back of terrance briscoe in the alice springs lock-up in january of this year. positional asphyxia would have been an important causal link to his death.
 
still the police around the country continues to use this form of arrest technique as it is far safer for them to do so. as i have stated many times before the life of a police officer far outweighs that of any member of the citizenry.
 
we then see an officer grab hold of troy's shirt and roughly drag him over the roadway like a sack of potatoes. he was then dumped face-down and cuffed but one can see that he was still bleeding profusely. nowhere is there any visual evidence of either troy or the driver receiving medical aid. maybe first aid was being given to the two people who, it is alleged, were hit by the car. i have seen no visuals of the driver being extracted but the procedure would have been the same even though he was wounded twice. both are in hospital.
 
the media report is lacking in some detail. in reference to the stolen car thepolice say that the car was driven onto the footpath in an attempt to escape, then hit one or two pedestrians before the police drew their glocks and fired at the car occupants through the windscreen. the damage as shown suggests to me that the stolen car, pictured below, hit more than just two pedestrians. it seems to me that to crumple the front of the car as they did then they must have hit something else, perhaps a shop front or a light pole. either that or the car is made of plastic. interestingly, none of the 4 tyres appear to be damaged. also the car appears to be resting on the roadway.
 
i am sure that the practice of police investigating police will come up with some answers, however warped they may be. there is a photo of what appears to show a senior officer chatting with other junior officers probably beginning this process.
 
the other photo of a man with no top on lying on the ground is, i believe, a passer-by who objected to the police brutality, or so i am told.
 
allegedly there was going to be a community meeting with the police-identified redfern elders but the only one quoted is mick mundine. a tv report has him saying that "yes, it should not have happened but really it was time to move on." he said the same thing re the death of tj hickey and the subsequent 8 anniversary marches! 
 
this disgusting and inhuman treatment handed out by those police involved at the kings cross scene however comes as no great surprise. there would have been executive officers present and, as usual, no attempt was made to calm down the overly excited police officers of the junior ranks. such savagery is standard practice. let us look a wee bit closer to the actions of the nsw police from february to april of this year.
 
in a 4 month period, roughly, we have had at least 5 deaths in custody relative to police actions and 2 near-death events that could be fatal in one case at least.
 
at springwood, nsw a 67 year old man walked into the springwood police station and he then collapsed and died. nothing else is known about the circumstances of that death.
 
in february police around bathurst were involved in a high speed pursuit of a stolen car and other acts. the car eventually crashed and the two occupants were arrested and taken to bathurst gaol where the 22 year old driver collapsed in his cell and died. he was offered assistance at the bathurst hospital but for whatever reason he refused to comply.
 
also in february 21 magistrate dunleavey threw out a case against phillip bugmy of wilcannia and charged the police instead for tasering phillip in his home whilst philip was on his knees with his hands behind his head. sometimes magistrates do stand up to the police.
 
on the 18 march a police action led to the death of roberto laudisio curti by 6 police who decided to play cat and mouse with roberto as they chased him through the streets of sydney. they had maced him and let him run blind, they caught him and video shows them slamming his head into the frame of the shop window and again let him run. then they tasered him at least 3 times and allowed him to run until he collapsed and died.
 
on march 25 at the end of a police pursuit the victim, darren neil, was cornered at the westfield shopping centre whereby he was then shot dead by the officer who had pursued him. details are sketchy and we have only the police version to go on.  
 
16 april found the police up tenterfield, nsw in a situation that the victim seemed to be suffering a psychotic attack. it was alleged that he had a crossbow and a knife and threatened the police who were present. the female officer fired off a taser but missed so the male officer drew his glock and killed the victim. nothing else at this point in time is known.
 
then the kings cross fiasco.
 
meanwhile elsewhere around the country, over in wa a police officer who was in a high speed pursuit of a stolen car ran a red light in the process and crashed into a civilian vehicle. the woman died and the officer is being charged for dangerous driving. meanwhile in qld. commissioner bob atkinson is decrying the limitations being placed on his police in matters of high speed pursuits and believing they should be reviewed and become less restrictive!
 
and so the homicidal mayhem continues unabated and we need, as a society, to manage our police better and make them far more accountable for their actions and their mistakes.
 
to that end this association, along with others around the country will be holding a national day of action on 12 may but more on this later.
----- Original Message -----
From: Ray Jackson
To: ray jackson
Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2012 11:55 AM
Subject: copsnswguns
 
Bloody ending to teen joyride in Kings Cross

• by: Yoni Bashan
• From: The Sunday Telegraph
• April 22, 2012 12:00AM

 

Copping it at The Cross

 

Copping it at The Cross

This exclusive footage by The Sunday Telegraph shows the dramatic arrest of 18-year-old Troy Taylor, who was shot then punched by NSW Polic...

thetelegraph.com.au22 April 2012

 

Stills from video of police dragging a teenager out of a car after shooting at him in Kings Cross Source: The Sunday Telegraph

Stills from video of police dragging a teenager out of a stolen car after shooting at him in Kings Cross. Picture: Ella Pellegrini Source: The Sunday Telegraph

Stills from video of police dragging a teenager out of a stolen car after shooting at him in Kings Cross. Picture: Ella Pellegrini Source: The Sunday Telegraph

A POLICE officer unleashed a series of savage blows to the head of a teenager bleeding from a bullet wound to the neck during a brutal arrest early yesterday.

Moments after he was pulled from a mangled car wreck in Kings Cross, shocking footage shows police repeatedly striking Troy Taylor before dragging his limp body across the street.

An officer then places a knee on the teen's blood-soaked back to handcuff him.

The 18-year-old, one of two teenagers shot by police during a dramatic chase, is then left lying in a pool of blood as dozens of stunned bystanders look on.

The teenagers, one just 14, were in a serious condition in St Vincent's Hospital last night.

The shocking ordeal began about 4am when police confronted a car carrying a group of six boys and young men on Darlinghurst Rd, Kings Cross, just metres from the famous Coke sign.

 

ABORIGINAL elder Mick Mundine was shocked and stunned by the way police arrested shooting victim Troy Taylor, 18, describing it as "pathetic."

As the driver tried to escape, he drove the car along the pavement, packed with pedestrians, narrowly missing several people before hitting a 29-year-old woman.

Police opened fire on the car, hitting the driver twice, in the chest and arm, while Troy Taylor was hit in the neck.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch said "people literally jumped for their lives".

 

Kings Cross shooting

Stills from video of police dragging a teenager out of a stolen car after shooting at him in Kings Cross. Picture: Ella Pellegrini
Source: The Sunday Telegraph

 

"That vehicle struck a female pedestrian (who) was pushed under the front of the vehicle ... she was pinned under the car.

"In an attempt to protect that person, police discharged a number of shots.

"Whether that decision turned out to be the right decision is a matter for the critical investigation team."

 

The car involved in the Kings Cross shooting

Bullet holes in the car windscreen where police shot two teens at Kings Cross yesterday. Picture: Mccomiskie Gordon
Source: The Sunday TelegraphThe pedestrian was taken to hospital suffering chest injuries but was released yesterday afternoon.

 

Mr Murdoch said the situation was an "absolute tragedy" but the alleged actions of the driver posed a serious threat to the public.

"No one likes to see this sort of thing happen, particularly in such a public area," Mr Murdoch said.

"It posed a significant danger, a real significant danger, to the many pedestrians on the footpath at the time."

Aboriginal elder Mick Mundine was horrified by the shooting, and by the subsequent use of force, describing it as unnecessary "police brutality" but he also stressed - to quell indigenous community anger at police - that the incident happened at Kings Cross, and was not related to Redfern.

Four of the young men were late yesterday charged with being carried in a conveyance. Three will face Parramatta Bail Court today and the fourth youth will appear in Bidura Childrens Court in May.

 

Kings Cross shooting drama

Police gather at the scene of yesterday's drama in Kings Cross/ Picture: Mccomiskie Gordon
Source: The Sunday Telegraph

 

An investigation has been launched into the use of the police weapons.

A witness, Sam Foy, said he heard six shots fired at the car. "My mate had to jump out of the way (of the car)," Mr Foy told The Sunday Telegraph.

"I heard at least six shots fired," he added.

Another witness, Victor Poliansky, 21, described the situation as extremely confronting. "I saw him getting dragged out of the car (and) the police officer started unleashing on him - he'd already surrendered," he said.

 

Kings Cross shooting arrests

A man is arrested at the scene. Picture: Mccomiskie Gordon
Source: The Sunday TelegraphYesterday Redfern police commander, Superintendent Luke Freudenstein was liaising with Aboriginal community leaders in order to quell tensions and concerns over potential reprisals.

 

Mr Mundine said there were fears for the teen's survival.

"The bullet nicked his heart and went into his lung," he said. "They cut a bit of the lung because it was so bad. He is still not out of the woods."

Homicide Squad police were yesterday on standby in case the matter developed further.

 

 

• Results: Today's poll

Thanks for voting!

Were the police right to open fire in Kings Cross?

• Yes, they were protecting passers-by 86.08% (5356 votes)
• No, they used excessive force 13.92% (866 votes)

Total votes: 6222

ray jackson
president
indigenous social justice association
 
isja01@internode.on.net
(m) 0450 651 063
(p)  02 9318 0947
address  1303/200 pitt street waterloo 2017
 
www.isja.org.au
 
we live and work on the stolen lands of the gadigal people.
 
sovereignty  treaty  social justice