Footage of an indigenous teenager having his legs kicked out from beneath him as he was arrested in Sydney is "absolutely" concerning, but a senior NSW police officer says the incident shouldn't been turned into "something it's not".
Police are investigating after the 16-year-old was taken to hospital with minor injuries following his arrest in a Surry Hills park on Monday.
The teenager had allegedly told a male police officer "I'll crack you in the f**king jaw, bro" before he was thrown to the ground. He was subsequently released without charge.
The arrest was captured on a mobile phone, with the footage later posted on social media.
After being threatened, the officer can be seen telling the teenager to turn around and put his hands behind his back. He then kicks the young man's legs out from beneath him and handcuffs him face down on the ground.
A bystander can be heard yelling "You just slammed him on his face. He's in pain."
NSW Police on Tuesday said the professional standards command was investigating and the constable involved had been placed on restricted duties.
"We're all aware of incidents that have taken place in the United States over the past week and we're aware of the sensitivities around what's occurring overseas," Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing told reporters on Tuesday.
"Am I concerned about what I'm seeing in the footage? Absolutely. But I'm equally concerned about others who may use the footage to inflame it and turn it into something it's not."
Mr Willing said the constable had used a "leg sweep" during the arrest and the police investigation would examine whether the use of force was appropriate in the circumstances.
The person who posted the Surry Hills video on Facebook said the teenager sustained cuts and grazes to his knee and a bruised shoulder, as well as chipped teeth, before being transferred to St Vincent's Hospital.
A hospital spokesman told AAP the teen was discharged in a satisfactory condition on Monday night.
"He didn't sustain serious injuries that warranted him being admitted," the spokesman said on Tuesday.
Activists have organised rallies across Australia this week in solidarity with those protesting in the US after George Floyd died while being arrested in Minneapolis.
Tristan Field, a Gadigal man who spoke at the Black Lives Matter protest in Sydney on Tuesday evening, said he wasn't surprised by the Surry Hills incident.
"When I was a kid I got harassed by the police. I remember what it was like to live in fear and I know what it's like to be scared that you might die," the 26-year-old told AAP.
Mr Field said Australians needed to know more about the history of indigenous deaths in custody "then we can worry about what's happening in the United States".
Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive Karly Warner said people didn't need to look overseas to see evidence of racism and heavy-handed responses.
"Our kids, mums and dads are too often unfairly targeted by police and are subjected to disparate treatment at every stage of the justice system," Ms Warner said in a statement on Tuesday.
"Just this week we've heard reports of Aboriginal people who were subjected to extreme force by police."
Redfern Legal Centre solicitor Samantha Lee said the footage was "deeply distressing".
The centre has referred the matter to the independent police watchdog.
Australian Associated Press
