Police officer caught 'giving advice' on video

A police officer in Perth, Australia, who swore at a man while apparently issuing a traffic infringement has admitted to his superiors that he acted inappropriately. In video footage, the man argumentatively asks what crime he has committed and tells the officer to go "stop some fucking criminals".

The policeman then walks close to the man and says: "If you swear one more fucking time I will put you in the lockup for disorderly, just like last time. I will deny your bail and some big fella is going to play with your arsehole during the night. If that's what you want, say one more fucking swear word." When the man tells the officer to relax, he replies: "Pull your head in.

"Don't tell me to relax. You don't tell me what to do. You don't swear in public. Switch on." The Western Australia police minister, Liza Harvey, said that using foul language was inappropriate but she would leave the matter to police to investigate internally. WA police union president, George Tilbury, said officers were sometimes in "frustrating and stressful" situations when dealing with the public.

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"As the full video has not been uploaded and the entirety of the circumstances are unknown, it is very difficult to comment on the actions of the officer," he said. "However, police officers should always do their utmost to portray a professional image. Our members need to be aware that in this modern age of technology their actions and interactions with the public will be filmed, often without their knowledge or permission."