Officer tasers woman metres from live petrol bowser in dramatic arrest at Windsor 7-Eleven

A Victorian police officer has come under fire after he was filmed tasering on a woman arm’s length from live petrol bowsers in a dramatic arrest in Windsor.

A Victorian police officer has come under fire after he was filmed using a taser on a woman just arm’s length from live petrol bowsers in a dramatic arrest in Windsor.

Police were called to a “highly volatile situation” at 7-Eleven on Punt Rd at about 12.30am on Wednesday where a woman had allegedly set fire to a pellet of firewood at the entrance of the store.

The 46-year-old Windsor woman allegedly entered the service station smoking a cigarette before allegedly stealing a can of accelerant to ignite the fire by the entrance.

Police order the woman to ‘get on the ground’ before hitting her. Picture: 7News

The woman runs away from police. Picture: 7News

Shocked onlookers filmed the scene as police arrived and ordered the woman – allegedly armed with the accelerant and a cigarette lighter just metres from live petrol bowsers – to “get on the ground”.

The woman is seen in footage allegedly refusing to follow police orders before police took “decisive action” – hitting her with a baton and pulling their tasers – to stop the alleged threat.

Confronting footage shows the woman curled up on the ground just a short distance from the petrol bowers as an officer deploys his taser on her.

Superintendent Josh Tink said his officers had to “address the situation immediately”, but that the use of a taser near flammable liquids had been referred for a “full review”.

Police taser a woman accused of lighting a fire at a Windsor petrol station. Picture: 7News

“Based on the conversations I’ve had today with Professional Standards Command, they’re comfortable with the actions of the members and they’ll refer the matter back to local police and management for a full review of the use of force in this matter,” he said.

“We’ve got to look at who is out the front of the service station that was on fire holding a candle accelerant and also holding a cigarette lighter, which is an extremely confronting thing for police.

“When you come to work of an evening … you don’t expect to be confronted with a situation like this, although our members are really well trained and well equipped to deal with this.

“On this occasion members did what they could to reduce the risk and contain the threat to the broader community. They needed to take action and they did.”

Superintendent Tink was quizzed over if officers were warned not to use tasers at petrol stations following cases of the devices igniting petrol overseas.

“That’s one of the things we’ll look at as part of our review, and if there are some broader learnings there for local members,” he said.

A 46-year-old Windsor woman is arrested after allegedly lighting a fire inside a 7-Eleven. Picture: 7News

Police allege the woman had failed to comply with orders before they struck her with a baton and tasered her on the ground. Picture: 7News

The 46-year-old woman is accused of assaulting a service station attendant who tried to diffuse the situation before police arrived.

He sustained minor injuries.

Police could not provide comment on the woman’s mental health status or if she was under the influence of drugs at the time of the alleged offence.

The Windsor woman was charged with damage by fire, theft, resisting police and unlawful assault.

She has since been bailed and is set to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on May 2.

Police have imposed bail conditions “to make sure she is not able to re-attend the premises”.

Originally published as Officer tasers woman metres from live petrol bowser in dramatic arrest at Windsor 7-Eleven