This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/08/nsw-police-minister-told-teen-he-worked-for-the-cops-in-road-dispute

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
NSW police minister told teen he 'worked for the cops' in road dispute NSW police to review road dispute in which minister told teen he 'worked for the cops'
(about 8 hours later)
David Elliot admits he followed teenage driver who clipped his car and ‘blew up at him’ but says he never touched the P-plater Labor has called for the premier to sack David Elliot, who admitted he ‘blew up’ at a teenager who clipped his car
The New South Wales police minister, David Elliot, has denied grabbing a teenage P-plater’s arm during a heated argument on a Sydney road, but admits telling the teenager he “worked for the cops”. New South Wales police will assign an assistant commissioner to review an alleged road rage incident involving the state’s police minister, David Elliott, amid calls from the opposition for him to be sacked.
Elliot says the 17-year-old male driver clipped his car and drove off on Windsor Road, Baulkam Hills, on 17 October. The Labor leader, Jodi McKay, said Elliott could also potentially be charged for impersonating a police officer when he told a 17-year-old P-plater that he “worked for the cops”.
The teenager’s father has told the Australian the minister chased his son through the Castle Hill backstreets before grabbing his arm, which Elliot strongly denies. Elliot has admitted making the claim but denied grabbing the teenager’s arm during the heated argument on a Sydney road, or chasing him through the Castle Hill back streets, as the boy’s father has claimed to the Australian.
“I spoke to him through the passenger’s side. No one touched anyone,” Elliot told the newspaper. “The NSW police commissioner has allocated North West metropolitan region commander, assistant commissioner Mark Jones, to undertake an independent review of the matter,” a spokeswoman for NSW police said.
However, he admitted he “blew up” when the youth refused to exchange contact details and swore at his wife. “All witnesses will be spoken to in order to ascertain if they’re in a position to provide any further information.”
“He claimed he didn’t have to so I said I work for the cops,” Elliott said. “He didn’t believe me so I gave him my business card. He said: ‘show me your badge’. I said: ‘I pay for the badges, I don’t get one’.” McKay and the Labor shadow minister for police, Lynda Voltz, called on the premier, Gladys Berejiklian, to immediately sack Elliott over the allegations.
“David Elliott simply cannot continue to be the police minister,” said McKay.
“The police minister is one of the most senior ministries in the NSW cabinet. What does it take for Gladys Berejiklian to stand down one of her ministers? What sort of standards is she applying to her police minister if she won’t sack him for this?”
Elliot said the teenage driver clipped his car and drove off on Windsor Road, Baulkham Hills, on 17 October.
He has admitted he “blew up” when the youth refused to exchange contact details and swore at his wife.
“He claimed he didn’t have to so I said I work for the cops,” Elliott said. “He didn’t believe me so I gave him my business card. He said: ‘Show me your badge’. I said: ‘I pay for the badges, I don’t get one’.”
The boy’s father said that when his son phoned him during the verbal altercation, he could hear a man “yelling and screaming” in the background.The boy’s father said that when his son phoned him during the verbal altercation, he could hear a man “yelling and screaming” in the background.
“I think in this day and age when road rage is quite high-­profile, it is poor form by someone in that position to be [behaving like that],” the father told the newspaper. “You have got no right to ­invade someone’s personal space.” The Greens MP David Shoebridge said it should be interstate officers investigating because of a “significant conflict of interest” for the NSW force.
The Australian reports that the NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has spoken to Elliot about the incident. “Given the role of the police minister, it is clearly inappropriate for the NSW police force and its officers to investigate this matter so I am asking that you give urgent consideration to an interstate investigation into this incident,” he wrote to police commissioner Mick Fuller in a letter seen by Guardian Australia.
The minister said the damage to his car would cost between $500 and $1000 to fix. “That the police minister appears to impersonating a NSW police officer risks the reputation both of the minister and of the NSW police force and on its own warrants an independent and thorough investigation.”
“I’ll be paying the damage ­because it’s probably under the excess,’’ he said. “But I’m dirty about it and furious he swore at my wife. Berejiklian told the Australian it is a matter for police. Guardian Australia has contacted the premier’s office for comment.
“Even after I gave him my business card and said he was obliged to exchange details, he kept swearing and carrying on.” With the Australian Associated Press.