Natalie Bonett shares video of police ripping her from a car at a Wallan checkpoint
The woman who was dramatically dragged from her car by police has broken her silence to defend her actions, saying she was kneed in the back and left bruised by the encounter. She can be heard screaming in the disturbing footage, saying “I don’t feel safe”. SEE THE VIDEO
Geelong
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A woman who was dragged from her car by police at a checkpoint in Melbourne’s north has defended her actions, sharing fresh details of the terrifying ordeal.
Wallan woman Natalie Bonett, 29, said her alleged refusal to share her details with police stemmed from a desire to speak to another officer.
The beauty business owner, who drives through the checkpoint most days on her commute to work, said the cop who pulled her over in Kalkallo made her feel “deeply uncomfortable”.
“Before I recorded them (the police) I said I would show my license and I always do, I just wanted to talk to someone else so I feel confortable,” she said.
Ms Bonett said she suffered from an autoimmune disorder and mental health issues and didn’t feel safe getting out of the car.
“Straight away, he walked over and he called for back-up, and I had my permit in my hand,” she said.
“I had everything ready to go, he said that’s illegal you need to remove that (car charger).”
“I was just confused why he was stopping me in the first place.”
She has since hit back at those who have labelled her as a “conspiracy theorist” or “attention seeking” online, saying she didn’t believe her actions warranted the response.
“If I had known I would be dragged out of the car and my clothes ripped, scratched and bruised, I wouldn’t have done it, but I didn’t know,” she said.
“I was in disbelief. I thought he was attacking me, I was happy to comply.”
“I didn’t deserve that, I don’t think anyone does.”
Ms Bonett said she spent 15 minutes handcuffed before her partner produced her driver’s license and she was released, leaving visible bruises the next day.
“I was basically put on my stomach by four officers,” she said.
“They cuffed me, they were being so rough… my airways were constricted by how they were kneeing on my back.
“My body is so sore.”
Meanwhile, Victoria Police has backed the officer’s actions.
Police allege Ms Bonett refused to supply her details or produce her driver’s license and was warned that she could be arrested for not complying with the request.
Ms Bonett was pulled up by the officer because her phone was allegedly obstructing her view on the windscreen, according to police.
“She still refused and was asked by police to get out of her car,” a police spokeswoman said.
“When she refused this request, she was taken from the car by officers and taken into custody.”
The beauty business owner will be charged on summons for failing to produce her license and name and address, resisting arrest assaulting police and offensive language.
HOW CHECKPOINT DRAMA UNFOLDED
Ms Bonett shared her dramatic arrest on her Facebook account on Saturday.
Within hours, it had been shared by thousands of people across social media.
The footage shows the officer climb into her car to undo her seatbelt and pull her from the front seat after she refused to provide him with her name and address because she felt unsafe.
“Can you get out of the car please?” the officer said.
“No, I don’t feel safe – you’re attempting to get into my vehicle,” Ms Bonett said.
She then began screaming, “What are you doing?” as the officer opened the car door and leant over her and tried to remove her from the vehicle.
A male in the car with her tried to hold her in the vehicle, pleading with the policeman that “she is sick”.
Ms Bonett alleged in her post that on being dragged out of her car, the officers pinned her to the ground with their knees, leaving her struggling to breathe.
“They called for backup and had 4 police officers grab me by the legs and pull me out of my car and arrested me”, she said.
“While trying to cuff me they had their knees in my back and couldn’t breathe.”
Ms Bonnett said “my blood is boiling” following the alleged incident.
“I am shaking, crying and in complete disbelief that I was treated this way,” she said.
Liberal MP Tim Smith described the ordeal as “ugly” and a massive overreach of police power.
“I won’t jump to any further conclusions as context is important, but there had better be a good explanation by the Andrews Labor government tomorrow,” he said when sharing the video on Twitter.
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Originally published as Natalie Bonett shares video of police ripping her from a car at a Wallan checkpoint