An officer has been taken off the beat as the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) investigates explosive leaked footage of Gold Coast police bashing a handcuffed man.
The CCTV footage, obtained by The Courier-Mail, shows a 21-year-old man being slammed face first into a concrete floor before being hit by officers using their knees, elbows and fists.
It shows the man again being punched a number of times in the back of a police van, and a senior officer throwing a bucket of
water on the concrete to wash away the man's blood.
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Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said the officer at the centre of the investigation had on Wednesday been removed from operational duties.
He said the CMC has decided to investigate the matter alongside the police Ethical Standards Command.
"You can be assured that there is and will be a full, thorough and exhaustive investigation of this matter," he told reporters in
Brisbane.
"But until the investigation is complete it's not appropriate for me to prejudge it or to determine the outcome."
The police chief has also urged an officer, who anonymously told The Courier-Mail that police bashings were not rare and complaints were often dismissed, to come forward.
"The officer has my absolute assurance that he or she will be totally protected and supported if they come forward with
information that is valid," Mr Atkinson said.
He denied claims the Queensland police service had a culture of violence, stressing that the proportion of complaints made about
the state's officers was lower than the national average.
"In a broader state-wide perspective, I think whilst there's always room for improvement, I don't believe things have gone
backward, okay, and I don't believe we're at a crisis point," he said.
The incident, involving 21-year-old chef Noa Begic, occurred on January 29 and a complaint was made to police on February 6.
Mr Begic says he will plead not guilty to charges of public nuisance and obstructing police.
The matter is due in the Southport Magistrates Court on April 4.
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