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March 6th, 2013 
David Schulberg the 3rd
A YOUNG Mardi Gras reveller who was handcuffed when police apparently threw him to the ground has been charged with assaulting police and resisting arrest.
The incident was captured on video by an onlooker during the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Gras Parade on Saturday and posted on YouTube.
Police say the 18-year-old man has been charged with assaulting police, resisting arrest and using offensive language in public.
The incident occurred at the intersection of Reilly Street and Oxford Street, Surry Hills.
The video appears to show a young man with a head wound, apparently being taken into custody by several police officers.
The unknown man is seen crying and repeating that he “didn’t do anything wrong”.
A officer is then seen to throw the man, who has his hands cuffed behind his back, to the ground before standing with one foot on his back for at least 20 seconds.
The video has sparked an internal police investigation to determine the full circumstances leading up to and surrounding the incident.
The man will appear in Downing Centre Local Court on April 1.
NSW police association president Scott Weber said the footage must be properly investigated before the actions of police are judged.
“We’ve seen time and time again where footage looks very adverse … but then on proper investigation it was easy to highlight that the police officer’s actions were justified,” he told ABC radio on Wednesday.
Mr Weber, a serving officer, said NSW police had more oversight bodies than any other force, arguing an internal investigation is appropriate.
“Police officers investigating police always do a very thorough job,” he told Fairfax Radio.
He said an investigation would shed more light on the incident than a YouTube video clip.
“We got a snippet in regard to what’s occurred,” he said.
“Until you see the holistic approach of what actually did occur on that night you really can’t make a decision about it.”
A woman who witnessed the incident can be heard in the background of the video saying “(the officer) won’t be punished because you will have internal inquests. Nothing will happen to the police office that just slammed that guy’s head against the ground”.
An officer is then seen to throw the handcuffed man to the ground before standing with one foot on his back for at least 20 seconds.
The initial encounter between the young man and officers was not shown in the film.
Another woman can be heard saying “this (officer) here grabbed him by throat and smashed his skull on the pavement”.
A third woman, who appeared distressed, said “they just slammed his head, there’s blood all over the ground”.
After viewing the footage, the Sydney gay and lesbian Mardi Gras organisation posted a statement on Facebook saying the incident was “quite distressing and our thoughts are with the individual, his family, friends and those that witnessed this.”
NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann says police should not be investigating their own colleagues.
“The independent investigation should examine whether homophobia was involved in the policing of the crowds and the operation as a whole,” Ms Faehrmann said in a statement.
About 1000 extra officers patrolled the event, which was attended by 10,000 members and supporters of the gay community.
Gay rights activist Gary Burns says the YouTube footage has undermined efforts police have made to improve relationships within the community.
“This behaviour by NSW Police is unacceptable and shows police are too readily prepared to use the limited act of violence against members of the homosexual community instead of the art of engagement with them to diffuse difficult situations,” Mr Burns said in a statement on Wednesday.
He also suggested Commissioner Andrew Scipione had lost control of officers working on the front line.
“…they are acting like the old former consorting squad of the 70s, a law unto themselves,” he said.
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