No anger in teen arrest after pursuit, cop tells court

A police officer has denied anger was a factor while using his knee on the head of a teenager he was arresting.

Paul Medulla, 35, has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault after an investigation by the NSW Police Professional Standards Command into the alleged injury of the teen during an arrest in Sydney's west in August 2022.

“Is stepping on someone's head an appropriate way to deal with that?” crown prosecutor Shaun Croner asked during cross-examination in Parramatta Local Court on Tuesday.

“During this situation, yes,” Medulla said.

Footage from police bodyworn cameras played in court showed a person crown prosecutors allege is Medulla pull out a mobile phone and appear to take a photo of the teen while using their knee on the back of their neck for “pain compliance”.

Medulla denied the sending the photo to a fellow officer directly after the incident was inappropriate, stating that it was to be used for evidence.

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Medulla said it was “quite urgent” the teen was arrested following a pursuit involving police helicopters and riot squad officers that ended in the early hours of August 14, 2022.

“Would you say that's an approved police tactic?” crown prosecutor Shaun Croner asked Medulla of using his knee to keep the teenager down.

“That was the best form of action at that stage,” Medulla said while describing an alleged bite attempt by the teenager during the arrest.

The police officer denied the hours-long pursuit had left him “amped up” and angry, and instead said he took a reasonable approach to restraining the teen.

“That's where the situation was, that's where I ended up,” he continued, stating, “I can't pick and choose.”

Video of the arrest played to the court showed the teenager on the ground with two officers restraining them, and calling out “please, please”.

Medulla's employment with NSW Police was under review at the time of the Professional Standards Command investigation.

He is also facing court for charges regarding a separate arrest in July 2022, where it's alleged he kicked an offender in the head who was being restrained by officers.