A woman who was dramatically dragged from her car by a police officer at a COVID-19 checkpoint has shared photos of her bruised body after footage of the arrest went viral.
Natalie Bonett, 29, was making her way through the blockade in Wallan, north of Melbourne, on Saturday for her commute to work when she was stopped by police.
The officer informed the lash technician it was against the law to have her phone attached to a car charger which was mounted onto her windshield.
Following a brief and tense exchange, video showed the officer reach in drag the masked woman from her car as her passenger tried to pull her back in.
Moments earlier, police asked Ms Bonett to provide her name and driver’s license but she requested to speak to another officer because the one that pulled her over made her feel ‘deeply uncomfortable’.
‘I didn’t refuse to show my license, I simply refused to show it to him,’ she told 9News.
Confronting footage shows the moment a young woman was dragged from her car screaming while she attempted to pass through a coronavirus checkpoint in Melbourne
The beauty business owner claimed the officers were being ‘rough’ and kneed on her back, constructing her airways and leaving her with bruises down her arms (pictured)
Ms Bonett, who suffers from an autoimmune disorder and anxiety, said she didn’t feel safe getting out of her car but had her permit in her hand.
‘I had everything ready to go, he said that’s illegal you need to remove that (car charger). I was just confused why he was stopping me in the first place,’ she told the Herald Sun.
Ms Bonett said the police officers’ response was disproportionate to her actions.
‘If I had known I would be dragged out of the car and my clothes ripped, scratched and bruised, I wouldn’t have done it, but I didn’t know,’ she said.
‘I was in disbelief. I thought he was attacking me, I was happy to comply. I didn’t deserve that, I don’t think anyone does.’
Ms Bonett, who denied she is a ‘COVID conspiracy theorist,’ said she was handcuffed for 15 minutes before her boyfriend gave her driver’s license to the police and she was released.
The beauty business owner claimed the officers were being ‘rough’ and kneed on her back, constructing her airways and leaving her with bruises down her arms.
Ms Bonett claimed officers called for backup when she wouldn’t leave her car and that a total of four police officers eventually arrested her
Ms Bonett said the police officers’ heavy-handed response was disproportionate to her actions.
Ms Bonett, who denied she is a ‘COVID conspiracy theorist,’ said she was handcuffed for 15 minutes before her boyfriend gave her driver’s license to the police and she was released
The video showed Ms Bonett screaming while being pulled away from the officer, demanding he stop touching her and get out of her car.
Her boyfriend and passenger attempted to hold her back, trying to tell the officer ‘she’s got anxiety’ while Ms Bonett became increasingly distressed.
‘What the f**k are you doing, what the f**k, get off me,’ she shouted at the officer.
Moments earlier, the cop had given her an opportunity to state her name, and asked her several times to get out of the car.
‘No, I don’t feel safe. You’re armed,’ she responded.
The officer assured her she would be safe before eventually losing his patience and dragging her out himself.
The disturbing footage ended as Ms Bonett slipped off camera when she was dragged from the car.
Victoria Police were quick to hit back at criticism of their arrest, alleging Ms Bonett repeatedly refused to provide her details and driver’s licence.
Police said she refused to supply her details or her driver’s licence, despite being warned she would be arrested if she continued to.
She was charged on summons with driving with obscured vision, fail to produce licence, fail to state her name and address, resist arrest, assault police and offensive language.
Ms Bonett screamed and resisted in the footage, demanding the officer stop touching her and get out of her car
Ms Bonett said she would ‘mention more’ when she was in ‘the right headspace’
Ms Bonett said she usually passes through the checkpoint with no issues, showing her license and permit to the officers on duty.
But on Saturday, she said officers took issue with the way her phone was mounted which led to the exchange.
The officer told her ‘the problem’ was with her refusing to provide her name and personal details.
She later revealed on Facebook she filmed her entire 14 minute arrest.
‘If you want to see the video…. you will all be disgusted. I am shaking, crying and in complete disbelief that I was treated this way.’
Ms Bonett claimed officers called for backup when she wouldn’t leave her car and that a total of four police officers eventually arrested her.
‘They grabbed me by the legs and pulled me out of my car and arrested me,’ she said.
‘While trying to cuff me, they had their knees in my back and couldn’t breathe.’
The officer assured her she would be safe before eventually losing his patience and dragging her out himself
Ms Bonett claimed officers called for backup when she wouldn’t leave her car and that a total of four police officers eventually arrested her
The video has attracted thousands of comments online and divided the public.
Liberal MP Tim Smith said he found the entire ordeal ‘ugly’.
‘It’s ugly and appears a massive overreach’ he said when sharing the footage on his Twitter.
‘I won’t jump to any further conclusions as context is important, but there had better be a good explanation by the Andrews Labor government tomorrow.’
In response to his post, Ms Bonett insisted there was no further context needed.
‘I am the woman in this video… I pass this checkpoint everyday and always produce my license,’ she insisted.
‘I see the military daily and don’t have any issues with them, this wasn’t about COVID, this was about me having a car charger on my windscreen and before they asked me to produce a license, they tried opening my car.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Victoria Police for comment.
‘I see the military daily and don’t have any issues with them, this wasn’t about COVID, this was about me having a car charger on my windscreen and before they asked me to produce a license, they tried opening my car,’ Ms Bonett said.
Ms Bonett said she usually passes through the checkpoint with no issues, showing her license and permit to the officers on duty
While Melbourne will remain under stage four lockdown until at least September 28, stage three restrictions in regional Victoria are expected to ease within days.
Mr Andrews said there are only 58 active coronavirus infections in regional Victoria and no new cases since Friday’s update.
He remains hopeful the Stage Three restrictions will be eased by the middle of next week, allowing regional Victoria to be ‘essentially open’.
‘Regional Victoria remains on track to be open to take not one but two steps,’ Mr Andrews said on Saturday.
‘It is very good news for regional Victoria and I hope every single person in metro Melbourne is looking to the numbers in regional Victoria and seeing what can be delivered.
‘Regional Victoria is so close, just a few days and they will potentially be able to take not just a single step but two of those steps and be essentially open.’
Victoria on Sunday reported 41 new cases and seven deaths, bringing the state’s death toll to 723.
Source: Daily Mail AU
