Coronavirus: Woman anti-masker charged with bashing 2 police officers

A woman has been charged with an alleged vicious assault on police in Melbourne after refusing to wear a face mask.

Victorian Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton speaks to the media on Tuesday. Picture: Getty Images

A 38-year-old woman from the outer southeastern Melbourne suburb of Frankston has been charged with nine offences including assaulting an emergency worker after she allegedly attacked two female police officers.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said the woman assaulted the police after she was approached and questioned for not wearing a face covering in the Frankston CBD near the Bayside shopping centre shortly after 5pm on Monday.

Commissioner Patton said the 26-year-old policewoman was on patrol with her partner when the incident happened.

He said a scuffle broke out after the woman refused to comply with police.

“After a confrontation and being assaulted by that woman, those police officers went to ground and there was a scuffle, and during that scuffle, this 38-year-old woman smashed the head of the (26-year-old) policewoman several times into a concrete area on the ground,” Commissioner Patton said.

“That behaviour is just totally unacceptable. That’s someone who thinks they’re above the law.

“They’re not wearing a mask. They’re approached and asked the reason why not and then to react like that is just completely over the top.”

The policewoman was treated for concussion and significant head injuries at Frankston Hospital.

“It’s this type of irresponsible behaviour that we’re going to address.

“That woman was taken back to the police station, charged with significant offences and bailed due to no criminal history. It shows how things can escalate from non-adherence.”

Mr Patton said the policewoman had been taken to Frankston Hospital with significant head injuries.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the behaviour was “disgusting, it’s appalling, and we will not put up with it.”

“Wear the mask, for heaven’s sake,” he said. “This has been a very difficult year for members of Victoria Police, their courage, their professionalism is amazing, and the least we can do is follow the rules and be respectful to police.”

Commissioner Patton said police had also been forced to smash the car windows of at least three anti-maskers within the past week and pull them out of their vehicles after they refused to comply with officers and give their details.

“In the last week, we’ve seen a trend, an emergence if you like, of small groups of people, but nonetheless concerning groups, who classify themselves as sovereign citizens,” he said.

“We’ve seen them at checkpoints baiting police and not providing a name and address, people who don’t think the law applies to them.”

Commissioner Patton said police would not hesitate to issue infringements, arrest and detail people because Melburnians needed to understand there were consequences for not doing the right thing.

It comes as Victorians who breach self-isolation rules could now be hit with fines of up to $5000 under tough new measures to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Police officers and soldiers patrol a popular running track in Melbourne on Tuesday. Picture: AFP

Mr Andrews announced the new police powers on Tuesday morning as he revealed more than 800 positive cases were not found at home.

He said all had been referred to police for investigation.

He said Australian Defence Force personnel and Department of Health and Human Services teams had doorknocked more than 3000 houses, with more than one in four not home.

The Premier said the $4957 infringement was the largest on-the-spot fine in the state, and if people repeatedly breached the rules, police would not hesitate to take them to court where the maximum penalty was up to $20,000.