A man has been charged with murder following a fatal brawl at Ballina last month.
Just before 8pm on Sunday, 22 December, 2019, police and emergency services responded to reports of a brawl near Hill and Park Streets, East Ballina.
NSW Ambulance paramedics located a 24-year-old man suffering serious head injuries.
He was treated at the scene before he was airlifted to Gold Coast University Hospital where he died a few days later.
Officers from Richmond police district attended and established a crime scene and commenced an investigation into the incident under Strike Force Tancred.
Following extensive inquiries, about 6.30am today (Wednesday, 8 January, 2020), detectives and officers attached to Richmond police district, with assistance from the NSW police dog unit and operations support group officers, executed a search warrant at a home in Tweed Heads West and arrested an 18-year-old man.
He was taken to Tweed Heads police station and charged with murder, assault occasioning death and affray.
He was refused bail to face Tweed Heads Local Court yesterday (Wednesday, 8 January, 2020).
On Tuesday, 7 January, 2020 a 22-year-old male was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company, affray and assault in relation to the incident; he remains before the courts and will appear at Ballina Local Court on Wednesday, 12 February, 2020.
Investigations are continuing, with police expecting further arrests.
There has developed over the past several years the practice of police giving footage of arrests to the general media.
This is an unhealthy development because it prejudices the trials of the accused.
In this instance the use of ‘shock troopers’ in riot gear and with a battering ram looked like overkill when you see the spindly suspect they arrested. They knew what impression it would make. In which direction is our society heading? This is what they do in authoritarian states!
Solicitors don’t seem to have made a fuss about this.Why?
I don’t believe it’s overkill.
The guy just killed someone in a street fight. Who knows what he is capable of.
They wouldn’t have been aware if there were other violent people present in the house, or if the person was harbouring weapons.
Sorry what do you expect them to do, go in and ask him nicely to come out?