Coronavirus: Police explain why woman was arrested at Wallan checkpoint

A Victorian woman who filmed herself being dragged from a car by police at roadside checkpoint has defended her actions, sharing photos of her injuries.

Natalie Bonett shared a video of the moment police drag her from her car at a coronavirus checkpoint. Picture: Facebook

A Victorian woman who filmed herself being dragged from a car by police at roadside checkpoint has defended her actions, saying she refused to give police her name because she wanted to speak to a different officer.

Wallan woman Natalie Bonett, 29, claims she had shown police her licence and a permit while she was stopped at the Kalkallo checkpoint, about 45 kilometres north of Melbourne, on Saturday when a police officer told her it was illegal to have her mobile phone charging on a windscreen mount.

After she refused the officer’s request to get out of the car, he reached in and dragged her out by the legs.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews Ms Bonnet, a beauty business owner, should have given them her name when asked.

Ms Bonett denied baiting police for attention, saying she felt unsafe and had simply wanted to speak with another officer.

“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 comfortable,” she told the Herald Sun on Sunday.

“Straight away, he walked over and he called for back-up, and I had my permit in my hand,” she said.

“I was just confused why he was stopping me in the first place.”

“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 has since posted photographs of injuries she claims she recieved when four officers put her on the ground face down to arrest her.

“They cuffed me, they were being so rough… my airways were constricted by how they were kneeing on my back.”

Wallan woman Natalie Bonett, 29, has shared photographs of injuries she claims she received during the arrest.

Asked about the footage on Sunday, Premier Andrews said no one was entitled to refuse to give police their name.

“No one is entitled when pulled over, to not provide their name and to not provide their driver’s license, and all of that could well have been avoided if the person had simply, after the fourth time she was asked, given her name,” the Premier said.

“When I was asked to pull over just the other day, we were able to identify ourselves, police, their badge was clearly shown, they were protecting every Victorian by pulling our car over, and when it became clear who we were – I didn’t need to produce a licence, but if I had been asked, I would have done that, because that’s what we do.

“Everyone’s got a responsibility to make the job of police easier, not harder. They’ve had a tough year, they’re doing an amazing job, and I fully support the work that they are doing.

“Beyond that, on that specific case, I’d leave it to them to speak to that.”

Police issued a statement on Sunday saying they had arrested a 29-year-old woman after she allegedly refused to provide her details and driver’s licence at a checkpoint in Kalkallo (near Wallan) just before 6pm on Saturday.

“Police spoke to the female driver at the checkpoint in relation to her mobile phone obstructing her view due to its position on the windscreen and explained that this was an offence,” a police spokeswoman said.

“The woman refused to remove her phone from the windscreen.

Ms Bonett said she commutes across the checkpoint daily for work.

“When asked for her name and address, the woman refused to supply her details which is an offence under Section 59 of the Road Safety Act.

“When asked to produce her driver’s licence, the woman also refused, which is also an offence under Section 59 of the Road Safety Act.

“The woman was warned that if she did not provide her details, she would be arrested.

“She still refused and was asked by police to get out of her car. When she refused this request, she was taken from the car by officers and taken into custody.”

Police said Ms Bonett had later been released and is expected to be charged on summons with driving with obscured vision, failing to produce a licence, failing to state her name and address, resisting arrest, assaulting police and offensive language.

“Victoria Police reminds all drivers that the Road Safety Act requires that they must state their name and address and produce their driver’s licence when requested to do so by a police officer,” the police spokeswoman said.