Khalid, Hussein and Fadi Zreika linked to Alameddine family, Strike officers
NSW Police are expected to face legal action following the dismissal of all charges against two men apprehended following a violent encounter at a Guildford service station.
Five men arrested by Strike Force Raptor officers during a violent encounter at a Sydney gas station are expected to sue after NSW Police dropped all charges against them.
In September, police confronted two men outside a Guildford service station, alleging that neither was wearing a face mask, a violation of the time-sensitive Public Health Order.
Officers from Strike Force Raptor, a specialized unit that targets the criminal activity of outlaw motorcycle gangs, claimed the guys were associates of a criminal group and grew violent, with one hitting an officer, sparking a struggle.
While the pair was being arrested, three of their associates arrived and allegedly began making threats at the officers, prompting the officers to seek for backup, which arrived shortly afterwards.
An onlooker's video of the incident appeared to show an officer punching one of the men as he was being arrested.
"They didn't do anything; they simply didn't have a mask on," a speaker can be heard saying on the footage.
One of the men can be heard responding, "I'm not doing anything, brother," to an officer's demand that he "cease resisting."
A police officer appears to have kneed one of the males up to five times while he lay on the ground.
Khalid, Hussein, and Fadi Zreika, as well as two others, are all said to have ties to the Alameddine family.
They claim to have been purchasing face masks at a gas station.
CCTV footage from the petrol station appears to corroborate their assertion.
According to officers, they were attacked first.
Police believe they were assaulted in the head and torso with a barrage of punches, as well as with arms, elbows, and knees.
However, CCTV and cell phone video footage refute those assertions.
At the time of the arrests, Raptor Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Jason Weinstein stated that he made "no apology for the actions of law-abiding officers."
"If you associate with, facilitate, or engage in a criminal gang, you should anticipate police surveillance – ensuring that every action you make in public is appropriate and congruent with the rest of the community," he said.
Police have withdrawn all allegations of assaulting police and resisting arrest.
The men were arrested and spent the night in jail as a result of the charges.
They are now pursuing legal fees and are likely to sue police for what they claim was an illegal arrest that cost the department tens of thousands of dollars.