Indigenous academic alleges treatment by two officers during 2018 arrest amounted to unlawful discrimination on basis of her race, a claim the officers and state government denies
police officers who arrested and handcuffed prominent First Nations writer and academic Chelsea Watego have told a tribunal they did not also approach or investigate an allegedly “aggressive white man” who was also the focus of nightclub security guards at the time they arrived.
Police approached Watego – who was standing on the footpath outside the entrance to the venue – and arrested her for a failure to leave the premises. Charges for that offence were never pursued. Watego’s opening statement alleges she was treated less favourably than the “aggressive white male” who was also outside the nightclub and had allegedly made racially abusive comments towards her.On Tuesday, when quizzed about whether police made any efforts to approach or investigate the actions of the white man, the arresting police officer said that when he arrived security appeared to be closer to the white man and “focusing on” him.
He decided to approach Watego instead, after she was pointed out by a staff member at the club, who said she had previously “been asked to leave 15 times”.
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