Cop punch victim gives statement

Video captures police officers apparently punching and kicking a man in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley. Courtesy Joe Smith

DETECTIVES from the Ethical Standards Command have interviewed the man at the centre of police brutality allegations.

Beau Hall said he provided a statement to detectives last night and was told he would receive a letter in a month informing him of the status of their investigation.

A statement released by police this afternoon said detectives were available to speak to anyone ``directly involved in this incident'' should they wish to lodge a formal complaint.

``At this time, no officer has been stood down or suspended from duty in relation to this incident,'' the statement said.

Beau Hall, 19, was filmed being punched and kicked by police in Fortitude Valley on Friday night. Picture: Adam Smith

Mr Hall, 19, told The Courier-Mail today he was unable to work last night because of soreness in his calf where he was allegedly kicked repeatedly by police outside a Fortitude Valley nightclub.

He will visit a doctor today to have his injuries assessed.

Mr Hall said he disagreed with comments from Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers, who said the actions of the officers involved were ``entirely professional''.

Amateur video captures a man being punched and kicked by police in an apparently unprovoked attack in Fortitude Valley.

He said he does not know what caused the officers to become violent because his memory of the incident is ``hazy''.

``They can't say it was professional,'' he said. ``They could have chatted to me and sorted it out. They could have handcuffed me and that would have been it.

``I have talked to police in the past and never had a problem.''

Motorists watch as a man is punched and kicked by police in an apparently unprovoked attack in Fortitude Valley.

Earlier, Mr Hall said he was too drunk to fully recall the run-in with three officers but did not deserve the brutal treatment caught on camera.

"I'm shocked at what the police have done to me. It's been uncalled for," Mr Hall told The Sunday Mail yesterday.

HOW THE STORY BROKE ONLINE YESTERDAY

Amateur footage shows a man being punched and kicked by police in an apparently unprovoked attack in Fortitude Valley.

"You can clearly see I didn't provoke anything towards them.

"If I did say something to them, it shouldn't be the worst case scenario and physically attack me. They should have just handcuffed me."

Shocking video footage shows Mr Hall talking to police next to the Beat nightclub at 11.24pm Friday before an officer lashes out with a punch.

A second officer appears to kick Mr Hall as he is handcuffed and arrested.

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers said the officers would be "completely vindicated" when the facts emerged.

"Having spoken with police familiar with the incident, I can confirm all police involved acted in an entirely professional, appropriate and responsible manner and their actions will be vindicated and put in context when all the evidence of this matter becomes public," he said.

"I am informed the brief few seconds of footage that have been filmed by a bystander do not accurately portray or represent the entirety of the police interaction with the offender."

But Mr Hall says he will press charges after viewing the video of the arrest and is due to see a doctor today to assess injuries.

He had initially declined to make a complaint when internal investigators from Ethical Standards Command interviewed him at Roma St headquarters yesterday.

"I had no idea what the police officers did to me, but when I saw the footage on the news I rang them back up and said I want to press charges now," he said.

Mr Hall, a gaming attendant at a south Brisbane sports club, said it was his first run in with the law.

He was on a night out with a friend visiting town from Sydney and admits he had "too much to drink".

He was earlier kicked out of Ric's Bar and was walking along Ann St when he urinated near a bin outside the Beat nightclub.

A bouncer detained him until the three police officers arrived and took him into the adjoining alley.

He recalls the police "giving me a bit of lip" but does not remember doing anything that would have provoked an assault.

"I don't remember getting hit by the police officers because I was that intoxicated," he said.

"But … I'm seeing a doctor tomorrow to get a medical report against them.

"I don't have any bruising from it but my jaw's sore, my head's sore, the back of my calf where they repetitively kicked me is sore. I can't walk on it properly."

He was charged with public nuisance and spent six hours in the Roma St watch-house until being released on bail this morning.

Police have privately suggested Mr Hall may have spat at the officers but he was not charged with assaulting police or resisting arrest and he was not asked to submit to any medical tests.

Joe Ritson, who filmed the incident, said he watched in horror as the arrest escalated into violence.

"I had a feeling something Was going on, I don't know why I was filming," the 24-year-old said.

"He was just standing there, we were watching for a good minute or two, when it happened."

Police were out in force in a crackdown on alcohol-fuelled violence and anti-social behaviour in Queensland entertainment precincts and arrested 101 people.

Brisbane Region Acting Assistant Commissioner Allan McCarthy said policing could be dangerous but officers were trained to deal with difficult situations.

"It is important not to pre-empt the outcome, however the circumstances will be investigated thoroughly to determine if the officers have acted in accordance with the high expectations of the Service," he said.

Queensland Council for Civil Liberties president Terry O'Gorman said the incident showed police working on the beat should wear cameras at all times.

"We get a significant number of complaints from people that police spark the violence themselves," he said.

"There really is a problem with police violence on the street … the more that this police initiated violence becomes obvious, the less people will be prepared to cooperate which will impact their ability to clear up crime."

He said the discipline and complaint process did not deter police from acting violently towards members of the public.

"If police are behaving like that then they're not suitable for the difficulties of streetwork. I accept it is difficult but … they should be trained not to initiate violence."

He said the idea of police carrying cameras was not a radical idea, with the recent Bandido brawl on the Gold Coast showing officers already carried cameras into situations.

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