Victoria police announced yesterday that an internal investigation has been launched after one of its members was seen in an YouTube video kicking two men on the ground.
At around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, three officers broke up an eight-man fight outside a nightclub, Sgt. Grant Hamilton said in a release. They witnessed “a victim of an assault lying on the ground being kicked in the head by a suspect.”
Police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd with little effect.
“The officers eventually wrestled six people into custody,” Hamilton said, adding that portions of the arrest were recorded by a passerby and posted online.
Of the 137 comments on YouTube last night, most suggested one of the officers used excessive force by kicking the two men being arrested.
The victim of the original beating was taken to hospital with a head injury, treated and released.
Hamilton said the victim is refusing to co-operate with police.
The six men arrested were all released 45 minutes later without being charged.
The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner has been notified of the incident and is monitoring the investigation, Hamilton said.
