Ex-homicide detective Charlie Bezzina says police failing to stop youths brawling after Pal Bidong shot a ‘bad, bad look’

Victoria Police has defended its decision to allow a group of youths to brawl just metres from where a young rapper was shot and killed. But one former veteran homicide detective has called the lack of action a “bad, bad look”.

Police officers responding to the shooting death of Pal Bidong have been slammed for failing to break up an ugly brawl on the streets of North Melbourne over the weekend.

Up to a dozen youths waged war on each other just metres from police guarding the crime scene where the young rapper known as Peezy was shot and killed.

They were filmed punching and kicking each other while the officers stood and watched, allowing the young men to continue belting each other on the street.

Former homicide detective Charlie Bezzina said the officers should have intervened as it “sends the completely wrong message”.

A brawl broke out in front of police after Pal Bidong was shot. Picture: 7News

Police have defended their actions, saying they were protecting the crime scene. Picture: 7News

Mr Bezzina, who was a homicide squad investigator for 17-years, said the force’s top priority should be to prevent crime which they failed to do.

“It’s not good optics, absolutely shocking optics for the general public, and sends the completely wrong message,” he told 3AW on Tuesday.

“They would be saying ‘how good is this? The coppers are going to do nothing, we just go on our merry way’.

“They could have managed that, but you’ve got to go in there and show that we’re not going to put up with this.

“It should have been stopped… It’s a bad, bad look for Victoria Police.”

Budding rapper Pal Bidong was shot dead in North Melbourne. Picture: Instagram

Victoria Police Commander Mark Galliott defended his member’s actions as their role was to protect the crime scene.

He said several alcohol-fuelled people had attempted to enter and “damage” the crime scene which forced police to form a line.

He said those members were given a single direction of not allowing anyone to enter that area as the murder investigation overrules an incident of affray.

He said arrests were made after more police arrived, which is not shown in the footage.

“The most important thing (when) attending a homicide is to preserve that crime scene,” he said.

“This is where a murder had just occurred, so the main objective for police attending was to secure that crime scene and preserve the evidence.

“If that crime scene is compromised, then the chances of that (convicting the offender) are very slim.”

Police are still hunting the gunman who fired the shots on Langford St about 3.15am on Saturday following a Halloween rave nearby.

Mr Bidong’s death has sparked fears of warfare with the potential for a revenge attack in coming days.

Leader of Victoria’s South Sudanese community Kot Monoah publicly linked the deadly shooting to an “East v West” gang feud.

The investigation is ongoing.