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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/oct/27/queensland-police-filmed-aiming-taser-at-tourist-who-was-stopped-because-of-his-tattoos
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Tourist stopped by Queensland police 'because of his tattoos' has Taser aimed at him | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A tourist has posted a video online showing a Gold Coast police officer aiming a Taser at her boyfriend. | A tourist has posted a video online showing a Gold Coast police officer aiming a Taser at her boyfriend. |
| The clip was posted on Facebook on Monday and appears to show the moment a female officer prepares to discharge her Taser at a heavily tattooed man. | |
| “We have legislation down here, if we identify a potential member of a criminal motorcycle gang we have the power to stop, detain and search you,” the officer says in the footage. | “We have legislation down here, if we identify a potential member of a criminal motorcycle gang we have the power to stop, detain and search you,” the officer says in the footage. |
| When the man asks if his neck tattoos were the sole reason for being pulled over, she replies: “Yep, absolutely.” | When the man asks if his neck tattoos were the sole reason for being pulled over, she replies: “Yep, absolutely.” |
| Matters escalate when the man, from Victoria, then refuses to hand over his mobile phone and the officer aims her Taser at him. | Matters escalate when the man, from Victoria, then refuses to hand over his mobile phone and the officer aims her Taser at him. |
| According to the post on his partner Hayley Van Hostauyen’s Facebook page, the pair had just touched down in Queensland for a holiday. | |
| “I have no club gear on at all they simply seen me and my partner Hayley at a red light, noticed a 13 tattooed on my neck and pulled us over,” the man wrote. | “I have no club gear on at all they simply seen me and my partner Hayley at a red light, noticed a 13 tattooed on my neck and pulled us over,” the man wrote. |
| “Pfft what a joke welcome to QLD.” | “Pfft what a joke welcome to QLD.” |
| He claims in the post that the officers later deleted the footage but he was able to recover it. | He claims in the post that the officers later deleted the footage but he was able to recover it. |
| “This is fkd up what a good start to our holiday str8 from airport,” he said. | “This is fkd up what a good start to our holiday str8 from airport,” he said. |
| The clip had been watched 1.3m times by Tuesday morning. | |
| The Courier-Mail quoted police inspector Shane Holmes on the incident. “He wasn’t just a random Victorian tourist. He and his girlfriend were intercepted by two slightly built female officers who know from experience that bikies carry weapons. | The Courier-Mail quoted police inspector Shane Holmes on the incident. “He wasn’t just a random Victorian tourist. He and his girlfriend were intercepted by two slightly built female officers who know from experience that bikies carry weapons. |
| “When this gentleman unexpectedly reached into the car, the officers immediately feared for their safety and drew the Taser as a precaution. | “When this gentleman unexpectedly reached into the car, the officers immediately feared for their safety and drew the Taser as a precaution. |
| “The incident has been investigated and the officers were deemed to have acted lawfully and reasonably.” | “The incident has been investigated and the officers were deemed to have acted lawfully and reasonably.” |
| Ian Leavers, president of the Queensland Police Union also said the officer had acted reasonably. | |
| “Police correctly identified the man as a potential member of a criminal motorcycle gang. | |
| “I fully support them showing extreme caution when they spoke with him as they would not have been certain of whether he was armed.” |