More information about the alleged misconduct of a South Australian police officer who is accused of assaulting four people while on duty has come to light, including claims that he used “words such as whoopsie” while using force against a person’s body.
There are eight aggravated assault accusations against 40-year-old Benjamin Oliver McLeod stemming from four alleged events between August and December 2020.
An audit of video from police officers’ body-worn cameras revealed the events.
The prosecution claims that the officer made four separate arrests while using excessive force.
When deciding whether to separate the four charges and have them tried separately, Magistrate Kym Millard today read out the prosecution’s case.
According to testimony in court, on August 6, 2020, the officer was seen on body-camera video arresting a person in Glandore.
The defendant is visible kneeling on his head and neck, according to Magistrate Millard.
“On the prosecution’s case, the defendant can be seen dragging across the road and dropping him on the side of a gutter around five minutes after the handcuffing started.
He allegedly threw the inmate to the ground after saying something that raises the possibility that his actions were intentional.
It’s been reported that he knowingly forced conduct against the upper body while saying things like “whoopsie” or “oh sorry.”
The court was informed that on December 3, 2020, an arrest in Glenelg included several cops.
According to the prosecution, bodycam video purportedly captured Mr. McLeod hitting another detainee in the head and neck.
According to the prosecution, this behavior went above and beyond what may reasonably have been required under the circumstances to secure the inmate, Mr. Millard said.
According to the prosecution, two other instances allegedly took place on December 6, 2020, during separate arrests in Black Forest and Novar Gardens.
It is stated that in Black Forest, Mr. McLeod struck a detainee’s upper body unnecessarily, especially the area around the head.
The detainee is heard complaining about pain and losing his sense of touch in body-worn video, the court was told, before Mr. McLeod is purportedly seen punching the detainee again.
The court was also informed that Mr. McLeod reportedly punched another detainee multiple times in Novar Gardens the same day, according to body camera and CCTV evidence.
It is alleged that the defendant pushed the detainee’s head to the ground with his hand and then held it there for a while with his knee, according to Magistrate Millard.
The magistrate granted Mr. McLeod’s request to have each of the four assaults handled separately, which means he will go through four trials.
Mr. McLeod was given simple bail terms last year, such as being prohibited from speaking to 38 police officers and from leaving the state.
