No need for independent inquiry -Police Minister

 

There's no need for an independent investigation into the arrest of a young man at the Sydney Mardi Gras, Police Minister Mike Gallacher says.

A video has emerged of an 18-year-old man with a head wound being thrown to the ground by police while handcuffed during the festival celebrations on Saturday.

At least six officers were involved in his arrest.

The NSW Greens and a City of Sydney councillor have called for an independent inquiry into the matter, saying the investigation shouldn't be left to police.

Mr Gallacher says the NSW Ombudsman will review the incident and an additional investigation is not necessary.

"For anyone to suggest that the ombudsman is not independent, they're being very, very unfair," he told reporters in Sydney today.

"I'm satisfied the ombudsman is independent, is truly independent of the NSW Police Force.

Mr Gallacher added that he had not received any complaints about excessive use of force or brutality by police at Mardi Gras.

As the area is "saturated" with CCTV cameras, there will be plenty of footage available to review and any judgment on police actions should wait until the investigation is complete, he said.

NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Mark Murdoch says the video only captures part of the incident and more will be revealed during an internal investigation.

"We have seen but one small part of what is clearly a much larger incident," Mr Murdoch told reporters in Sydney.

"What actually happened, the full circumstances, will be disclosed in time once our internal investigations and our criminal investigations in relation to both matters have run their course."

Mr Murdoch says another incident occurred within 30 minutes of the one captured on video.

"While we haven't received a complaint from either of the two people in the incidents there is a procedure for us to initiate our own inquiries, and we have done so," he said.

The officers involved remain on front line duties at their local area commands.

Mr Murdoch says the public does have a right to film events in a public area and comments heard from an officer in the footage suggesting otherwise are contrary to police policy.

"He will be taken aside and the policy will be reinforced to him," he said.

Premier Barry O'Farrell said the incident had put a damper on the event but he wasn't going to jump to conclusions without seeing what happened before the video began.

"We haven't seen what has preceded it," he told reporters in Sydney.

"I have been assured that the matter is being fully investigated by police ... and police have more oversight than any other organisation in NSW so I am confident that we will get to the bottom of what went on.

"Let's not pre-judge what we see."

Mr O'Farrell said Mardi Gras organisers had been happy with police involvement, overall.

"This incident, the allegations around it, obviously cast a pall over that but let's not pre-judge that, we haven't seen what led up to it."

"This inquiry must be public. It cannot happen behind closed doors," GetUp director Sam Mclean said in a statement today.

"If people are to have any faith in the police, justice must be seen to be done."

Just after midday (local time) today, 5208 people from across Australia had signed the petition, GetUp spokesman Rowan Wenn said.