Watch: Officer Kicks 19-Year-Old Who Threw Boots At St Julian’s Police Cars During Arrest
Footage of officers arresting and kicking a 19-year-old Somali national who was filmed throwing items, including his own shoes, at parked police cars shows the moments after the youth fled the scene.
In the footage, one officer can be seen kicking Faisal Arab Mohammed in St Julian’s after officers apprehended the youth. This comes moments after he ran away from the St Julian’s police station with officers chasing him on foot.
During his arrest, an officer was filmed kicking the youth. Newsbook reported that the officer is now under investigation for police brutality, though he was not suspended from duties during the investigation, which can take up to two weeks.
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In the footage, a barefoot Mohammed is subsequently arrested and taken into custody. He has since faced at least five charges in court, and is in prison.
The incident occurred at around 7.30am Sunday 26th February.
Inspector Zachary Zammit explained that Mohammed had been in Paceville earlier that night and approached a police sergeant, allegedly telling him “arrest me”.
When police searched him, they found two sachets, one containing cannabis and the other containing some form of white powder, Net reported.
Zammit said Mohammed then began to get agitated, and as they were walking with him from Paceville to the police station, he tried to run away, and ran face-first into a flowerpot, injuring himself.
He also resisted as officers attempted to place him into one of their vehicles.
Police eventually let him go after finding the white powder contained nothing irregular, and the cannabis he was carrying broke no laws.
However, after being released, Mohammed took his boots off and threw them at officers’ parked cars. He also threw his headphones towards officers, as well as other items, such as nearby rubbish bins, towards the vehicles and officers.
Mohammed also began alleging that officers had taken his mobile and wallet.
Soon after, officers emerge from the station, and chase him down after he runs away.
In court, officers said he had caused around €703 in damages on two police cars, as well as an unknown amount on a citizen’s car.
Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras was not given a plea for bail, and Mohammad was sent to prison.
What do you make of the police’s actions?
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