Two Victoria police officers charged over alleged Taser and knee strikes to Indigenous man's head during arrest
Victoria's anti-corruption watchdog Ibac has charged two police officers over an alleged assault on an Indigenous man during an arrest in Melbourne last year, with the pair due in court on 11 September.
Two Victoria police officers have been charged with assault following an investigation into their conduct during the arrest of an Indigenous man in eastern Melbourne last August.
The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (Ibac) said its inquiry found that a senior constable allegedly struck the man's head multiple times with a Taser during the arrest. That officer has been charged with aggravated assault with a weapon.
A sergeant involved in the same arrest is alleged to have unlawfully struck the man's head with a knee, and has been charged with unlawful assault.
Both officers are scheduled to appear at Ringwood magistrates court on 11 September. Victoria police have been approached for comment.
Focus on First Nations complaints
The investigation, known as Operation Ginkgo, was carried out by Ibac's focused police complaints team (FPCT), a unit that assesses and investigates serious, single-incident allegations of misconduct by Victoria police against people from communities at higher risk of experiencing such treatment, including First Nations people.
Ibac said that with the matter now before the court, no further details would be released.
