Victoria Police, in a moment of understated clarity, has admitted they “stuffed up” the bungled late-night raid on prominent inner-Melbourne LGBTQI bookshop Hares & Hyenas that left a man with arm injuries reportedly described by a surgeon as a “12 on a scale of 1 to 10.”
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In the early hours of Saturday morning, police forced entry to an apartment adjoining the queer bookshop on Johnston St, Fitzroy, after mistakenly identifying a resident as a suspect in connection to a home invasion and carjacking.
Resident Nik Dimopolous, a prominent member of Melbourne’s LGBTQI community and a pioneer of the city’s gay dance party scene, fled the scene believing he was being targeted by a homophobic home invasion and attack. According to reports, police either did not adequately, or flat-out failed to, identify themselves as police officials upon forcing entry to the property.
Dimopolous was then apprehended by police as he exited the building’s front entry, violently thrown to the ground, and had his arms restrained “behind his back beyond what can be endured.”
Luke Cornelius, who serves as the Assistant Commissioner of the Northwest Metro Command, spoke to 3AW this morning and admitted the incident, which has sparked widespread outrage, was an egregious mistake.
I’m very keen to convey how appalled I am and the extent of the injuries that Mr Dimopoulos has suffered.
I would be looking to express to Mr Dimopoulos in the most clear terms that I’m very sorry that what has happened to him has happened.
Cornelius held a press conference following that interview, conceding that police had, and we quote, “stuffed this one up.”
It’s very clear to us that police stuffed this one up. It’s very clear to us that the injuries occasioned by the individual who was arrested by police, it’s very clear to us that those injuries are very serious. And those injuries demand explanation.
Dimopolous was hospitalised following the incident and has subsequently undergone surgery in an attempt to repair the damage to his arm. Surgeons were reportedly forced to use bone grafts and metal pins on his arm, which was shattered from the shoulder down. Surgeons reportedly fear he may never regain full use of his arm.
The officers involved in the bungled raid are yet to be suspended, but may still be pending a decision by the internal police Professional Standards Command.
The entire operation is the subject of an internal police investigation only. No independent authority has been tasked with investigating.
