Maverick sergeant’s conduct on Oxford Street found ”Unlawful and Improper”

The actions of sergeant Timothy Devitt who fired a Taser stun gun at a man as he walked along Sydney’s Oxford Street were ”unlawful and improper”, a magistrate has found. In extraordinary footage of the incident, revealed by The Sun-Herald in June, Sergeant Timothy Devitt is seen twice firing his Taser at Ali Alkan’s back, as the 38-year-old walks along the road about 2.30am on March 29. The officer justified his use of the Taser, claiming Mr Alkan had been ”breaching the peace” and could have been hit by a car as he weaved through traffic. Police allegedly found two methamphetamine tablets and GHB on Mr Alkan and charged him with drug possession. But during a hearing on Friday at the Downing Centre Local Court, Mr Alkan’s counsel, Winston Terracini, SC, called for the charge to be dropped, arguing his client’s arrest had been unlawful and constituted an ”unprovoked” assault. ”It seems extraordinary that in order to protect him [the officer] then assaults him by hitting him a number of times with the Taser and then, later on, barbs have to be removed from his body [in hospital],” Mr Terracini told the court. ”There is no suggestion that [Mr Alkan] was committing an offence ?he was told to get off the road, he is in the process of getting off the road – that is, obeying direction – and he is then struck.” CCTV footage shows the officer pointing Mr Alkan towards a laneway, then, as Mr Alkan moves towards the footpath, he is shot in the back. Mr Terracini said it …