‘Drop the knife’: Bodycam captures moment cops confront teen holding large knife
Bodycam footage has captured the moment a teen was confronted by cops while holding a knife at a busy CBD bus stop.
Bodycam footage has captured the moment police arrested and charged a young man armed with a large hunting knife at a busy CBD bus stop.
Brandon Jet Lee Baker, 18, was represented by the duty lawyer at Brisbane Arrests Court on Wednesday following his dramatic arrest by police a day earlier.
Mr Baker, from Tarragindi in Brisbane’s south, is charged with one count of possessing a knife in public.
Police were called to a bus station on Roma St in Brisbane’s CBD about 2.30pm on Tuesday, following reports an 18-year-old man had been seen armed with the knife.
Bodycam footage captures one officer telling him: “Drop it, drop it now. Drop the knife, put it on the ground.”
The man responds by tossing the knife onto the ground in front of the officers.
He is then handcuffed and taken to a waiting police wagon.
In a statement, Queensland Police said no threats were made by the man towards any member of the public, or towards police.
During Monday’s brief mention, Mr Baker’s lawyer asked for the matter to next be heard on November 28.
The court was told he had another matter in the Arrests Court and the charge of possessing the knife would proceed by a plea.
The dramatic arrest follows Queensland Police revealing they had hit a “significant milestone” in their renewed safety campaign against knife crime in the state.
In October, Queensland Police revealed wanding operations under Jack’s Law provisions had resulted in more than 1000 knives, axes, machetes and other weapons being seized and removed from Queensland streets.
An initial trial on the Gold Coast resulted in 266 weapons being located.
Another 737 have been seized since Jack’s Law was passed by Queensland parliament in April last year.
“Wanding operations since Jack’s Law commenced statewide have resulted in more than 2,100 people being charged with almost 3,800 offences across more than 8,000 wanding operations,” Queensland Police said in a statement.
The expanded legislation – known as Jack’s Law – allows police to randomly use handheld scanners to “wand” people without warrant in safe night precincts and on all public transport including stations.
The legislation was introduced following the death of teenager Jack Beasley in 2019, who died after suffering fatal stab wounds after a fight in Surfers Paradise, on the Gold Coast.
Jack’s parents Brett and Belinda Beasley have since founded the Jack Beasley Foundation – a not-for-profit organisation raising awareness of youth and knife crime and campaigning for change around youth justice and police powers to combat knife crime.
In September, Jack’s Law was expanded to allow wanding in more high-risk public locations including shopping centres, licensed premises and sporting precincts.
“The response from shop owners, businesses and stakeholders has been incredibly positive with a number of knives and other weapons seized in busy shopping centres, potentially preventing a tragedy,” Youth Crime Taskforce Acting Assistant Commissioner Andrew Massingham said.