News.com.au
The man appeared to have been forcefully restrained by several officers at the city’s Flagstaff Gardens on Wednesday, where an annual 4/20 event was being held.
As he was wrestled to the ground and placed in handcuffs, he was heard telling officers, “I’ve got a medical certificate in my bag”.
An onlooker was heard telling police, “don’t f***ing hurt him”, while the man was pressed to the ground as multiple officers stood over him.
Police pinned this man down after seeing him smoking a joint at a 4/20 festival. Picture: YouTube/platform2melbourne
The man was carried through the event in the centre of a crowd of officers. Picture: YouTube/platform2melbourne
At one point the man, while kneeling with his hands pulled behind his back, was heard saying, “I can’t breath”.
He was then shown being dragged across the grass on his knees and was briefly brought to his feet before more officers lifted his body up and began carrying him.
By this stage at least a dozen officers surrounded the man as he was carried across the venue in front of festival-goers.
One officer appeared to become fatigued from holding the man up so another took over from carrying him under the right armpit.
He was carried towards some mobile police testing trucks and placed on the ground, where two officers conducted a thorough check of his pockets.
Once he sat up, a different officer leant down and asked how he was feeling.
He was dragged across the grass on his knees. Picture: YouTube/platform2melbourne
A big group of officers shifted him to the ground near two police vehicles. Picture: YouTube/platform2melbourne
“A bit better now,” he responded, telling the officer he was unhappy about police earlier using their knees on his chest and back.
The man was heard telling officers he was half way through a joint when they arrested him, and asked them, “for what?”.
“It’s really bad of you to do on this day, it’s our day you know. Were not fighting you, we’re legal.”
After a further brief exchange with officers, the man had his handcuffs removed and entered one of the police vehicles.
After several minutes, one officer asked the man how he was. Picture: YouTube/platform2melbourne
He emerged later with his pants around his ankles and was given his belongings back.
Speaking to the man who filmed the ordeal, the man explained the experience had “bummed the whole 4/20 for me man”.
“I’m a legal patient, my weed comes from a doctor, from a pharmacy, I thought I would come here today, first time I’ve been, and first time I’ve had legal weed,” he said.
“I lit up one spliff and get manhandled, dragged around, scratches, bruises. I’m going to get going hey.”
Victoria Police told news.com.au officers “attended Flagstaff Gardens on Wednesday, 20 April for a planned protest”.
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A 46-year-old Noorat man was arrested at the scene for possessing cannabis, police said.
He was released pending further inquiries.
