Police video: Man arrested in Sydney during Covid pandemic for sitting on park bench without mask

A newly released video of police body camera footage has exposed the extremes Australia’s lockdown laws during the Covid pandemic.  

Two police officers on July 24, last year, approached Edwin Paz, 31, and another unnamed man sitting on a bench in Victoria Park, Camperdown, in Sydney‘s inner-west.

There had been a Rally 4 Freedom protest in Sydney earlier that day when the virus was spreading rapidly and the Harbour City was under strict stay-at-home orders and mask mandates.

What started out as a general enquiry ended with Paz on the ground shouting out ‘I can’t breathe’, while surrounded by police officers. 

On Tuesday at the Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court, Paz was sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order (CCO) for assaulting an officer and a 12-month CCO for resisting an officer.

He was also fined $2,000 for not wearing a face mask and not complying with a Covid direction.

Edwin Paz (pictured right) was arrested on July 24, 2021 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic

The footage played in court begins with one of the officers telling Paz their conversation was being ‘audio and video recorded’ and that he was allowed to do so in a public place. 

Paz refused to cooperate with the police, telling them ‘I can’t hear ya’.

The officer informs Paz to ‘get up and leave or I’m going to place you under arrest.’ 

‘Are you trying to intimidate me?’ Paz asks. ‘I do not consent to talk with you, I haven’t entered into a contract with ya, so stop speaking with me.’ 

Paz then asked the officer what crime had been committed.

The officer replied that ‘If you’re not within your local LGA (local government area) or you’re not exercising, you are not in a public place with a reasonable excuse.’

It later turned out that Paz, who is from Smithfield in Sydney’s west, was out of his LGA.

Edwin Paz (pictured right) resisted when officers tried to arrest him in Victoria Park, Camperdown in Sydney’s inner-west

The officer told him he was placing him under arrest and that Paz was also committing an offence by not wearing a face mask. 

Paz said that he didn’t have to wear a mask, but would not produce an exemption, which was another reason for getting arrested. 

He then said ‘I’m free to do whatever I want, I’m a free man.’

The other officer then spoke and told Paz to stand up so he could be handcuffed, while the first office said they did not want to use force. 

But they did use force as Paz continued to refuse to cooperate. 

As the police picked him up he can be heard saying ‘Don’t you dare f****** touch me’ and threw a punch at one of the officers.

Police officers are pictured scuffling on the ground with Edwin Paz as they try to handcuff him

The scuffle continued for another two minutes as more police officers arrived to help their colleagues. 

After handcuffs were finally put on him, one of the officers said ‘We’ve got control here,’ while Paz can be heard saying ‘I can’t breathe.’

He was then told that he was also under arrest for assaulting police. 

Paz is heard calling the officers ‘f****** criminal c***s’ after he was handcuffed.