Three police officers are called out for confronting a man who was jaywalking: ‘Australian police have nothing better to do’
A group of ‘overzealous’ police officers have been called in after they stopped and accosted a man for jaywalking in the middle of the day.
Three officers were filmed getting out of an unmarked police car to confront the pedestrian in Liverpool, Sydney, on May 4.
Initially, the jaywalker recorded himself walking away, but officers were able to catch up with him and the situation worsened.
He was then confronted by one of the officers, who said, “You just jaywalked, please remove your ID, put your phone down.”
The man shared footage of his interaction with the police officers, sparking an intense reaction online.
Three police officers in an unmarked car moved in to stop a jaywalker in Liverpool, Sydney on May 4
“Omg…just for jaywalking,” said one, while a second added: “No wonder people have such disrespect for the police. Seriously, jaywalking?”
A third added: ‘Such a joke, since jaywalking is illegal the Australian police have nothing better to do.’
Another simply called the police officers “overzealous.”
In New South Wales, jaywalking became illegal ten years ago under Regulation 231 of the NSW Road Rules 2014.
According to this regulation, people are only allowed to cross at pedestrian lights when the light is green.
Anyone who runs into a flashing red signal or crosses within 20 meters of a marked intersection could face fines ranging from $75 to $220.
If challenged in court and unsuccessful, these fines can reach $2,200, as reported by Armstrong Legal.