Joshua Ford: Watch the chaotic moment a man is Tasered by cops for ‘drinking in public’: ‘Don’t touch me, brah’
A man was tasered during an intense confrontation with police when he was caught drinking what police ‘thought’ was alcohol in public.
Joshua Ford, 26, pleaded guilty to possessing an open container of liquor in a public place after he was caught with a can near Theater Lane in Canberra on August 2.
However, Magistrate Robert Cook dismissed the charges on Monday after the prosecution could not prove the can, which was in a stubby container, actually contained alcohol.
“It’s a good bet … but you’ve got to have more than that,” Mr Cook said.
Bodycam footage shows Mr Ford struggling as he was confronted by three officers who then tasered him until he lay still on the ground.
Joshua Ford (above) was tasered twice by Canberra police after officers believed he was drinking alcohol in public
During the confrontation on August 2, officers forced Mr. Ford to the ground and tasered him (above)
When officers approached Mr. Ford shortly after midnight, the person wearing the bodycam asked, “Would you like to put the drink down, buddy?”
Mr. Ford replied, “Why is that?”
The officer quickly shot back, “Because you’re drinking in public, and you just made a fool of yourself by yelling at us.”
Another police officer tried to take the can from Mr Ford and told him ‘you can’t drink in public’.
“Don’t touch me, brah,” Mr. Ford said.
Immediately, the officer wearing the bodycam grabbed Mr. Ford’s arm and told him he was under arrest.
The three officers began pushing Mr. Ford to the ground as he struggled to free himself.
The group Ford was with shouted at police as he continued to writhe on the ground until the officer with the body camera pulled out his Taser.
The charges against Mr Ford (above) were dropped after the magistrate ruled that the prosecution could not prove that there was alcohol in Mr Ford’s can
“Taser, Taser!” he shouted before firing the device at Mr. Ford.
He then told Mr. Ford, “Stop resisting and lie on your back.”
Mr Ford shouted ‘f**king cops’ before being tasered a second time.
The footage ended with Mr Ford lying on the ground crying as officers handcuffed him.
ACT police claimed Ford was in a ‘hostile crowd’ and was behaving ‘aggressively’.
The officers’ actions will be subject to an independent review.