A 55-year-old man at the centre of a standoff with police in Mullumbimby’s CBD during lunchtime yesterday will face seven traffic charges in court later this month.
They include driving while his licence had been cancelled and driving an unregistered vehicle.
Police say the man allegedly refused to get out of his car after being stopped for a routine traffic check in Stuart Street at around 1pm.
Police say they requested to see his licence but ‘the man allegedly claimed to not recognise local laws or police and refused’.
The man also refused to undergo a roadside breath test, despite several requests from police who’d pulled him over.
They say that when he was placed under arrest, he refused to alight from the car or unlock the doors and a large crowd gathered.
A police statement issued this morning said that when the man tried to start the vehicle, police struggled with him through the driver’s side window, which broke.
‘The passenger side window was also broken during the incident,’ the statement said.
The man, who had suffered minor lacerations, was eventually handcuffed and placed in the rear of the police van, taken to Byron Bay police station and charged with seven traffic offences.
The charges were: fail to supply information, refuse a breath test, drive while his licence was cancelled, not wearing a seat belt, resisting arrest, driving an unregistered vehicle and driving an uninsured vehicle.
He was granted conditional bail to attend Mullumbimby Local Court on 25 June.
The police officers suffered minor injuries which were treated at Byron Bay Hospital.
Inquires into the incident continue.
There are always two sides to every story but some police seem to have short wicks when dealing with eccentric characters.
This will be remembered as a storm in a teacup and could have been handled with good ‘ole fashioned patience and humour.
Is this Mullumbimby’s Swat Team?
witnesses say police broke at least one of the windows with a truncheon.
Correction.
A 65 year old man, who also suffered minor injuries, including internal bruising due to police brutality.
What a bunch of crap, this idiot chose to drive around an unregistered, uninsured vehicle, putting the rest of us at risk. Adding to this he also thought himself so far above the law that he refused to identify himself and provide a roadside breath test. Who the hell does he think he is? If you don’t like the “rules of society” then don’t participate in it. That’s right, no use of public roads, ammenities, access to any public funded system, for instance Medicare.
As far as I can see the police did a decent job under difficult circumstances. Get off their back. I know not all of them are great, but I think they get hammered a lot for just doing their job.
Bet you would all be quick to dial 000 if you were in need of urgent assistance from them!
There would have been no injuries for said 65 year old man had he alighted the vehicle when requested by police and patience is irrelevant, do as you are asked and things would have went a whole lot smoother yesterday.
End rant.
yep..there’s definitely a right way and a wrong way to go about things….looks like both sides would do well to contemplate that.
Amanda ..
your obviously a well conditioned citizen and are willing to let your human rights go for a paved road.
no one is saying that what the old dude did was amazing ….far from it
but the action of the thugs who call them self’s police, is out of order
if it was your senile old man or child being assaulted by the police for no good reason I’m sure you see our point.
the cops in Australia are out of control