Götterfunken
Member
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200510/s1488723.htmQueensland police have been accused of using excessive force in a brawl outside a Brisbane nightclub yesterday.
Twenty-seven men and women were arrested during the disturbance outside the Underground Nightclub in Edward St just after 4:00am.
It started with a fight between two people and developed into a brawl within minutes.
Some club patrons say police were using capsicum spray on innocent bystanders.
"Some people were just trying to run past and just got caught up in it and just got dragged in and sprayed and thrown into the watch tower," said one witness.
"They were bashing anyone with the bats, they even grabbed this other guy that was waiting for a taxi they sprayed him and then they started bashing him and then they arrested him."
Police Superintendent Tonya Carew says her officers acted appropriately.
"I tell my staff to use capsicum spray," she said.
"Far too often my officers are injured because they are trying to communicate with people who are drunk and at 3:00am in the morning they are not able to be reasoned with."
Superintendent Carew says this type of behaviour will not be tolerated.
"It was a very volatile incident and police were confronted with a large crowd of angry people and if people continue to behave in this manner then they will be locked up," she said.
Twenty-five people face charges including assault and obstructing police, while two others have been issued with notices to appear in court.
So the question is this--do the police go too far? Are they too aggressive in maintaining the ‘peace’? Or are their actions, which are reported upon here, and witnessed, in similar situations, by many BoS members I'm sure, consistent with using justifiable and appropriate force?