Police forced to settle with a six-figure sum
Daniel Jones has been awarded a massive payout after Victoria Police finally conceded to unlawfully arresting Avi Yemini’s security guard during an anti-lockdown rally in Melbourne.
Police targeted Jones for providing security to Yemini’s team, as Rebel News reported from the anti-lockdown protest outside Flinders Street Station on July 25, 2021.
Jones was helping to shepherd Avi Yemini and his cameraman through the crowd, ensuring they didn’t get in the way of police, when an officer tapped him on the shoulder, signalling to other officers that he was to be arrested.
Jones told the police, ‘I’m working, I’m on the job, I’m doing what I’m meant to be doing’.
“But that was all completely ignored,” he said. “I was hit, thrown to the ground and had handcuffs placed on me.”
Jones said he told police that he was licensed to be in the area, was an accredited security guard, and had full insurance to do his work. But all of that was dismissed as a gang of police wrestled him to the ground and then ferried him off to a police station, where he was detained for hours before being fined for breaching lockdown laws.
Police eventually dropped the fine, but Jones, with the help of Rebel News supporters, decided to sue the force for damages.
“I wanted more than the fine to be dropped, I wanted justice,” Jones said.
Lawyer Madeleine Smith, from Smith & Tapper Lawyers, successfully argued Jones’ case, forcing the state to settle with a six-figure sum to be paid as compensation.
“It’s been long, it’s been hard,” Jones said. “It certainly wasn’t an easy fight. The police didn’t make that process easy at all. They were trying to shirk responsibility of any wrongdoing whatsoever.”
Jones said the payout “vindicated that I was in the right and that I have done the right thing”.
“I’m hoping it will restore my professional reputation that I believe was tarnished at the time, due to the actions of the Victorian Police,” he said.
Jones thanked Rebel News supporters.
“Their support meant a lot. I couldn’t have done it without everybody, the viewers who have really made this happen.”
This massive settlement comes months after Victoria Police were forced to come clean and apologise to Avi Yemini for unlawfully arresting him while reporting on several occasions.