NSW Police Bodycam: Officers Attacked During Sydney's Lockdown

On the 24th of July 2021, police approached two people on a park bench at Victoria Park in Camperdown. Police were conducting Covid-19 lockdown compliance within the area; during this period in Sydney, a person was allowed to go outside and 'exercise', but only in their own Local Government Area (LGA.) Mask compliance was also in place at this time in any area, inside or out.

The footage shows 31-year-old Edwin Paz and another unknown person sitting down during his conversation with police. He told officers to "stop talking to me.” “Are you trying to intimidate me,” he asked the arresting officer. “I do not consent to talk with you; I haven’t entered into a contract with ya, so stop speaking with me.” A Rally 4 Freedom protest was held in Sydney earlier that day as the virus spread rapidly, and the Harbor City was under strict stay-at-home orders and mask mandates.

Paz refused to cooperate with the police, telling them, “I can’t hear you.” Finally, the officer tells Paz to “get up and leave or I’ll arrest you.”
“Are you trying to intimidate me?” Paz asks. “I do not agree to talk to you, I have not made a contract with you, so do not speak to me again.”

Paz then asked the officer what crime had been committed. The officer replied, “If you’re not within your local LGA (local government area) or not exercising, you’re not in a public place with a reasonable excuse.” It later transpired that Paz was out of LGA from Smithfield in western Sydney.
Paz said he didn’t have to wear a mask but didn’t want to present an exemption, which was another reason for being arrested. He said, “I am free to do as I please; I am a free man.”
The other officer then spoke up and told Paz to get up so he could be handcuffed, while the first officer said they didn’t want to use force. But they did resort to violence when Paz continued to refuse to cooperate.
When the police arrested him, you heard him say, ‘Don’t you dare f****** touch me’, and he slapped one of the officers.
After he was finally handcuffed, one of the officers said, “We’re in control here,” while Paz can be heard saying, “I can’t breathe.” He was then told that he had also been arrested for police assault.
Paz calls the officers “f****** criminal c***s” after being handcuffed.

Paz was charged with 4 offences and fronted court on the 9 of November 2022, where he pleaded not guilty to the four charges but was found guilty by 'Special Fixture'. A special fixture is where hearings are used when attempts at settlement have failed and more time is required to hear the case. The hearing is set for a specific length of time where the issues in dispute will be finally determined and a decision made. NCAT (NSW)

On the 22nd of November 2022 at Downing Centre Local Court, Paz was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order (CCO) for resisting an officer and an 18-month CCO for assaulting an officer. And he was also fined $2000 for not wearing a face mask and not complying with a Covid direction. NYB (2022)


Sources:
Article: By William
https://nybreaking.com/police-video-m...
NCAT FACTSHEET New South Wales
https://ncat.nsw.gov.au/documents/fac...