Latrell Mitchell and Jack Wighton brawl: Arrest footage emerges
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At least four police officers piled on top of NRL star Latrell Mitchell as he was handcuffed for allegedly fighting with his NSW Blues teammate Jack Wighton after a wild night.
Confrontation footage shows the South Sydney Rabbitohs fullback screaming in pain upside down surrounded by police officers, shouting: ‘My shoulders, my shoulders’.
Close colleagues were celebrating Wighton’s 30th birthday in Canberra’s CBD when the incident occurred at around 3:45am on Saturday.
Police arrested and charged both men with fighting, and Mitchell was also charged with resisting arrest.
They both spent the night in jail, but witnesses claim the pair “were just fooling around and laughing” on the street after the Raider fifth-eighth was asked to leave the Fiction nightclub in Civic.
Confrontation footage shows the South Sydney Rabbitohs fullback screaming in pain upside down surrounded by police officers, shouting: ‘My shoulders, my shoulders’.
“They threw him across the road and jumped on him and tackled him for no reason,” a witness who did not want to be named told 7News.
“It was really brutal and unnecessary.”
Michael Bagley, a local publican who saw the couple that night also backed up their claims.
‘If you think they were fighting in any way, shape or form, that’s just pathetic. Fair and absolute joke,’ she said.
They’ve been hung out to dry, but they’re good guys.
Hours earlier, Mitchell posted a photo on Instagram of himself and Wighton in cowboy hats accompanied by the caption “Happy 30th birthday my brother” with a brown love heart emoji.
Wighton later reposted it on his Instagram page.
Mitchell posted a photo of the pair wearing cowboy hats as they celebrated Wighton’s (pictured) birthday before the alleged fight occurred.
The Souths superstar also posted a photo of himself with his wife Brielle during the big night to celebrate 30 years of Wighton.
ACT Police confirmed the duo’s arrests and charges on Sunday.
“At about 3:45am today, ACT Police responded to reports of a disturbance near a nightclub on Bunda Street in the city,” the statement read.
Two men, a 30-year-old man from Bywong, NSW and a 25-year-old man from Chifley, NSW, were arrested at the scene.
The 30-year-old was charged with fighting in a public place and violating an exclusion order, while the 25-year-old was charged with fighting in a public place, fighting and territorial resistance to a public official.
“They are expected to face the ACR Trial Court at a later date.”
Mitchell (pictured playing in last year’s NRL final series) was charged with resisting arrest and spent the night in a jail cell.
Wighton (pictured before a final match against Parramatta last year) was also charged by police when they attended the alleged fight at 3:45am
Wighton was charged with non-compliance because he allegedly failed to obey ACT police when they told him to leave the Canberra CBD earlier in the evening, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
The NRL’s Integrity Unit is also looking into the matter and Souths issued a statement saying the club informed the governing body about the alleged clash.
Canberra said the club is cooperating with police and Raiders chief executive Don Furner reportedly took Wighton home on Sunday morning, with Mitchell believed to return to Sydney.
An anonymous NRL player who witnessed the incident also claimed that the police overreacted.
“They were just mates who had had a bit to drink, gambling,” he said. Nine.
An NRL player who saw the pair ‘fighting’ accused police of a ‘massive’ overreaction (pictured, Mitchell playing New Zealand at the World Cup last November)
“But then cops came from everywhere: about four of them jumped on Latrell and knocked him to the ground and twisted his arms behind his back.
“He didn’t resist and yelled at them to stop hurting him.
“It was actually very distressing to watch and my girlfriend was in tears. It was a massive overreaction.
Mitchell and Wighton have been good friends for years, playing together for the Native All-Stars team, the NSW Blues and most recently the Kangaroos national team at the Rugby League World Cup last November.
The mates (pictured at a promotional event in Sydney last October) have played together on Native All-Stars, NSW Blues and Kangaroos sides for years.
The pair were due to return to Sydney on Sunday as both are listed to play for the Indigenous All-Stars team which flies to New Zealand on Monday to prepare for its match against the Maori team.
In 2021, Wighton stood by his friend when Mitchell took a stance against cyber bullying and sent abusive messages to the NSW Police.
“I don’t normally comment on Latrell, you know, and I was doing it last year, but I think that was very mature and very good,” Wighton said.
“He didn’t do it about himself, he did it about what could happen to others. I think it was very mature and one of the best messages I’ve ever seen ‘Trell’ spread.