Western Australian (WA) Police have charged a teenager for his role in an alleged gang attack on a police officer.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of Dec. 28, when an officer approached a 16-year-old boy who was charging his e-motorcycle outside the Optus Stadium in Perth.
It was alleged that he was riding the vehicle illegally.
The boy was among a group of around 30 teenagers who rode bikes and gathered outside the stadium.
Other members of the group can be seen surrounding the officer and attacking him.
According to a police statement obtained by The Epoch Times, the officer sustained cuts and bruising to his face.
The boy left the area on his e-motorcycle but was apprehended shortly after the assault.
WA Police have charged the 16-year-old with one count of assaulting a public officer. It’s not clear whether the other children who attacked the officer were charged.
He will appear before the Perth Children’s Court on Jan. 22, 2025.
As of Dec. 30, another 19-year-old man has been charged with organising “a gathering that became an out-of-control gathering.”
The man is due to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on Jan. 28, 2025.
WA Police also said investigation into the incident was still ongoing.
Before the incident, there were reports about a large group of juveniles who rode bicycles, scooters, and e-motorcycles and disturbed the community in many areas of Perth.
WA Police Inspector Steve Walters said the group was rampaging throughout the city.
“We’ve had all sorts of allegations from weaving in and out of traffic, to damaging cars, to possibly even assaulting people,” he told reporters.
At the same time, he defended the officer’s actions, saying he did not attempt to attack the 16-year-old boy.
“If anything, he’s probably reached out to affect an arrest,” Walters said.
“The young man was riding an electronic motorcycle, which is illegal, and it was on a shared footpath.”
