Mother who was tackled to the ground and handcuffed by three cops ‘for flouting Melbourne’s COVID-19 restrictions’ breaks her silence – and reveals her message to police.
By KELSEY WILKIE FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
A mother has been left living in fear after she was pinned to the ground by three police officers for allegedly breaking COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.
Alla Novitzkay, 48, has bruises under her arms and pain in her back and neck after the dramatic incident in Hoppers Crossing in Melbourne’s south-west on Saturday.
‘I don’t think I trust the police anymore and when I hear a police siren I feel fear,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
She was standing at the intersection of Heaths and Derrimut Road waiting for her daughter Anna who was at the bank when she was stopped by officers and accused of breaking COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.
But Ms Novitzkay said she was not breaking any rules as she was just 3km from her home and wearing a mask.
She said she was standing by herself with a sign protesting the Russian president which read ‘Putin must resign’ when a police car pulled up.
Ms Novitzkay, who moved to Melbourne eight years ago from Russia, said she struggled to understand what police were telling her.
Alla Novitzkay claims she was left with large purple bruises (pictured) after she was pinned to the ground by three police officers in Melbourne
‘I didn’t understand what he was saying,’ she said. ‘I didn’t think I was breaking any restrictions.
‘I thought he was wanting me to leave (the intersection) so I walked towards my car,’ Ms Novitzkay said.
‘The policeman jumped out and blocked me. I heard the word ID and said it was in the car.’
She told them her car was about 100m away but was stopped from walking over to it and questioned further.
While she was telling the police her name and address another police car arrived.
‘At that time my daughter came up. I said ”this is my daughter” and hoped she could help with translation.’
But moments later Ms Novitzkay was suddenly hit in the back of the knee.
She fell to the ground as three officers pounced on her.
She said her face was pushed against the footpath as her hands were pulled behind her back.
‘I felt a strong pressure against my back and neck, I struggled to breathe,’ she said.
In footage, filmed by her daughter, Ms Novitzkay can be heard screaming as the officers held her face-down
Confronting footage, which was filmed by her daughter, shows Ms Novitzkay screaming as the officers hold her face-down on the footpath and handcuff her
Ms Novitzkay alleged the police officers deliberately pinched her mother during the arrest, leaving her battered and bruised
Ms Novitzkay had been standing ‘with a poster about Russian politics’ when she was arrested before the women were issued a $1,652 fine each
In footage, filmed by her daughter, Ms Novitzkay can be heard screaming as the officers held her face-down.
Her terrified daughter can be heard begging the officers to get off her mum, shouting ‘she’s in pain, she said she’s in pain’.
Ms Novitzkay said she was then escorted to the police car and questioned further.
She again told them her passport was in her car which was 100m away.
Police then escorted her to her car where they found her passport. She alleged one police officer pinched her under her arms as she was escorted to the car.
She said she was then released from the cuffs and both her and her daughter were issued a $1,652 fine.
The dramatic incident has left Ms Novitzkay with horrific bruises under her arms and pain in her back and neck.
Ms Novitzkay said she has been left with emotional scars too.
A lone cyclist is seen crossing the empty Bourke Street in Melbourne on Thursday morning
A lone tradesman is seen walking along Swanston Street in Melbourne on Thursday morning
A spokesman from Victoria Police said the women were stopped as they were demonstrating on the corner of Heaths and Derrimut Road in Hoppers Crossing.
‘The two females were requested to state their names and address, and produce identification as they were in breach of the Chief Health Officer’s directions,’ the spokeswoman said.
‘After numerous attempts from police to have the females provide their details which was refused, they were both arrested. One of the females resisted arrest, and had to be taken to ground during the incident.
‘Both females were issued with a $1,652 fine each for breaching the Chief Health Officer’s directions and were released pending enquiries on further charges.’
The incident happened a day before Daniel Andrews declared a State of Disaster in Victoria as the COVID-19 cases continued to spike.
Last Sunday Melbourne was placed under a police enforceable curfew of 8pm until 5am until at least September 13 as part of a Stage 4 lockdown.
Melburnians can only leave their homes between these hours for work, care-giving, medical reasons or on compassionate grounds.
The city’s 4.9million residents have also been banned from travelling more than 5km from home to do their shopping – and only one person from each household can leave at any time.
Australian Defence Force staff and Victorian police are seen on patrol as a lockdown of Melbourne forces people to stay at home
When the footage was filmed, Melbourne was in Stage 3 lockdown – meaning residents could only leave the house for essential reasons.
Since the city was placed in a harsher stage-four lockdown premier Dan Andrews has promised to crackdown on those disobeying draconian lockdown rules.
He announced on Wednesday there would be more police and Australian Defence Force personnel out in force ensuring residents are abiding by the directions of the Chief Health Officer.
Huge fines of up to $19,826 for individuals and $99,132 for businesses will apply to anyone caught breaking the rules.
‘Those doing the wrong thing will cop a fine from Victoria Police, because the only way to beat this deadly virus is if we all follow the rules,’ Mr Andrews said.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton issued a warning to anyone refusing to follow the rules.
‘If you’re not doing the right thing, we will not hesitate to issue infringements, to arrest you, to detain you where it’s appropriate.’
