PERTH — A video circulating widely on social media, depicting an off-duty police officer restraining a teenage girl on a Perth train, has ignited public debate and drawn condemnation from the National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, Sue-Anne Hunter. The incident, which occurred on a busy train carriage, resulted in the girl being charged with assault.
The footage shows the officer, who identified himself to the girl, using physical force to hold her against a carriage wall and window. The girl, heard yelling "I'm not resisting" and "Let me go," appears distressed, with her head striking a window during the altercation. The video ends as a public transport officer approaches and shakes the off-duty officer's hand. The WA Police force has not yet confirmed if an internal investigation into the officer's conduct is underway.
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The incident has spurred calls for an investigation into the officer's use of force. Questions linger over the proportionality of the restraint applied to the teenager. The girl's family has not made a public statement.
Broader Context of Transit Encounters
This event occurs against a backdrop of prior concerns regarding conduct on public transport. In December 2024, a separate incident at Kwinana train station involved two transit officers restraining a young girl on a platform. Witnesses at that time accused the officers of rough conduct, with one describing the girl's arm being twisted behind her back and her being held down with a knee on her head. The Public Transport Authority defended the actions of its guards in that instance. The circumstances of the Kwinana incident, which was captured on video, also led to calls for official complaints.
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