Shocking video captured cops tasing an Australian man for refusing to move seats during a flight.
The incident occurred on Saturday when 30-year-old Bolic Bet Malou was on a Jetstar flight from Perth to his hometown of Melbourne. He had allegedly agreed with another passenger to switch seats so that the father could sit with his wife and infant child.
Before takeoff, however, the cabin crew requested that Malou return to his original seat, away from his family. When he allegedly refused, flight attendants called in the Australia Federal Police (AFP).
The footage, which was captured by fellow flyer Jaeris Vansson, shows a flight attendant telling Malou, “We have reasons to not take you now,” with the passenger calmly responding, “Call the police. I will go when the police come.”
The AFP then arrives with yellow tasers and confronts Malou over his alleged disorderly conduct. “You’ve failed to comply with aircraft instructions,” one of the officers declares. “I need you to come with me right now.”
“What have I done wrong,” protests Malou, to which the officer replies, “Either you come with us voluntarily or we’re going to grab you.”
In an interview with 9News, the father said that he only wanted to sit next to his family and felt violated by the incident.
“I felt like an animal,” Malou told the news network. “I was tasered and carried out of the place, pushed.”
“Five police, four different Taser guns at once,” he continued. “It’s voltage on a human that done nothing wrong.” He found his treatment especially “unreasonable” given that “only wanted to sit next to his family.”
Vansson said the situation “escalated so fast,” adding that it was “very violent and very sudden.”
Hetstar has since released a statement regarding the confrontation with Malou, who was charged with disorderly behavior and assaulting and obstructing police officers.
“Our crew called the AFP for assistance when a customer became abusive towards our crew, repeatedly refusing to follow their instructions to move to his assigned seat,” AFP representatives wrote in an official statement. “The AFP removed two customers from the aircraft, and one was later arrested.”
