The Brit had a stroppy response to police. Photo / Twitter
The Brit had a stroppy response to police. Photo / Twitter
A video has emerged on Twitter of a stroppy British man's indignant tirade at Victoria Police as they fine him on a Melbourne street for not wearing a mask.
In the one minute 30 second video, which has had almost 200,000 views on Twitter, the man's voice can be heard rising as he huffily insists he has an exemption to the state's Covid-19 rule that dictates all Victorians must wear a mask when leaving home.
The man, who both swears at police and calls them "mate" throughout, continually refuses to state what the exemption is, insisting "it's not your business".
But one police officer's priceless response puts the man back in his place.
The video begins with the man, who is unseen apart from his hands, asking the names of a female and male constables who have stopped him because he is not wearing a mask.
As they ask for his identification, he complains, "why have you got handcuffs out for me?" When the female officer asks, "what's your date of birth?" as she studies his ID, he retorts, "it's on there".
The male officer asks him: "Can you state your name and address please?"
The British man responds: "That's obviously my UK address". But he then stops and says in a panicky voice, "he's got handcuffs, he's arresting me. She's got my ID in her hands".
The male officer tells the man, "put your hands behind your back" and he again protests, "my ID's in her hands" and adds "you're harassing me mate".
The male officer responds, "you're not wearing a mask".
'How about that?: Cop's response
The back-and-forth between police and the British man continued.
Man: "I told you I've got an exemption. Get the f***ing cops off me. I've told you I've got an exemption." Police: "What is it? What's your exemption?"
Man: "What does it matter? It's not your business. It's not your business."
He continues to protest indignantly as the female officer takes down his details. Photo / Twitter
Police: "How can we prove it's legitimate or not?"
Man: "You need to prove I haven't got one I don't need to prove to you.
"You're the one coming up to me. Putting handcuffs on me, putting f***ing handcuffs on me. I don't need to …"
Police: "Okay, we're going to hit you with an infringement and you can argue it in court. How about that?"
Man: "I don't need to go to court mate. I don't need to tell you anything mate. I am just walking down the street.
"You just put handcuffs on me. You're harassing me. What, there's one, two, three, four, five, six of you."
Police: "What's your address?".
The video, shared by outspoken YouTuber Avi Yemini then cuts out.
Victoria Police issued 156 fines in the past 24 hours to individuals who have breached the chief health officer's directions.
There were 22 fines handed to people for failing to wear a face covering when leaving home.
One woman was fined for driving to a convenience store after midnight while curfew was being imposed. Officers who spotted her driving without her headlights on were allegedly told she was going to get doughnuts.
