Dramatic moment driver is dragged screaming from her car at a coronavirus checkpoint near Melbourne - but officers say the viral arrest had NOTHING to do with Victoria's lockdowns

  • Natalie Bonett was making her way through the COVID blockade in Wallan
  • Was stopped by officers and dragged from her car for refusing to give her name 
  • Ms Bonett said the ordeal has left her shaken and said four officers arrested her
  • She said she couldn't breathe during the arrest due to having 'knees in her back' 
  • Vision comes as Victoria records 41 new cases and seven deaths on Sunday 

Confronting footage shows the moment a young woman was dragged from her car screaming as she attempted to pass through a coronavirus checkpoint in Victoria.

Natalie Bonett, 29, said she was making her way through the COVID blockade in Wallan, north of Melbourne, on Saturday when she was stopped by police.

They informed her it was against the law to have her phone attached to a car charger which was mounted onto her windshield.

Following a brief and tense exchange, video shows the officer reach in drag the masked woman from her car as her passenger tried to pull her back in.

Confronting footage shows the moment a young woman was dragged from her car screaming while she attempted to pass through a coronavirus checkpoint in Melbourne

Confronting footage shows the moment a young woman was dragged from her car screaming while she attempted to pass through a coronavirus checkpoint in Melbourne

Ms Bonett claimed officers called for backup when she wouldn't leave her car and that a total of four police officers eventually arrested her

Ms Bonett claimed officers called for backup when she wouldn't leave her car and that a total of four police officers eventually arrested her

Ms Bonett, a lash technician in Melbourne, screamed and pulled away from the officer in the footage, demanding he stop touching her and get out of her car. 

A passenger in the car attempted to hold her back, trying to tell the officer she's 'got anxiety' while Ms Bonett became increasingly distressed. 

'What the f**k are you doing, what the f**k, get off me,' she shouted at the officer. 

Moments earlier, the cop had given her an opportunity to state her name, and asked her several times to get out of the car.

'No, I don't feel safe. You're armed,' she responded.

The officer assured her she would be safe before eventually losing his patience and dragging her out himself.

The disturbing footage ended as Ms Bonett slipped off camera when she was dragged from the car. 

Victoria Police were quick to hit back at criticism of their heavy-handed arrest, alleging the woman repeatedly refused to provide her details and driver’s licence.

A spokeswoman said Ms Bonnett refused to remove her phone from the windscreen after being told it was an offence as it obstructed her view due to its position.

Police said she refused to supply her details or her driver's licence, despite being warned she would be arrested if she continued to 

She was charged on summons with driving with obscured vision, fail to produce licence, fail to state her name and address, resist arrest, assault police and offensive language.

Ms Bonett screamed and resisted in the footage, demanding the officer stop touching her and get out of her car

Ms Bonett screamed and resisted in the footage, demanding the officer stop touching her and get out of her car

Some people have doubted the legitimacy of the video
She said she would 'mention more' when she was in 'the right headspace'

Ms Bonett said she would 'mention more' when she was in 'the right headspace' 

The vision coincides with Victoria confirming an additional 41 new COVID-19 cases and seven deaths in the state on Sunday. 

Since the start of the pandemic in late January, Victoria accounts for 723 of Australia's 810 COVID-related deaths.  

Ms Bonett said she usually passes through the checkpoint with no issues, showing her license and permit to the officers on duty. 

But on Saturday, she said officers took issue with the way her phone was mounted which led to the exchange.

The officer told her 'the problem' was with her refusing to provide her name and personal details. 

She later revealed on Facebook she filmed her entire 14 minute arrest. 

'If you want to see the video.... you will all be disgusted. I am shaking, crying and in complete disbelief that I was treated this way.' 

Ms Bonett claimed officers called for backup when she wouldn't leave her car and that a total of four police officers eventually arrested her. 

'They grabbed me by the legs and pulled me out of my car and arrested me,' she said.

'While trying to cuff me, they had their knees in my back and couldn't breathe.' 

She said she would 'mention more' when she was in 'the right headspace'.  

'What the f**k are you doing, what the f**k, get off me,' she shouted at the officer
'No, I don't feel safe. You're armed,' she said

The officer assured her she would be safe before eventually losing his patience and dragging her out himself

Ms Bonett claimed officers called for backup when she wouldn't leave her car and that a total of four police officers eventually arrested her

Ms Bonett claimed officers called for backup when she wouldn't leave her car and that a total of four police officers eventually arrested her

The video has attracted thousands of comments online and divided the public.

Liberal MP Tim Smith said he found the entire ordeal 'ugly'.

'It’s ugly and appears a massive overreach' he said when sharing the footage on his Twitter.

'I won’t jump to any further conclusions as context is important, but there had better be a good explanation by the Andrews Labor government tomorrow.' 

In response to his post, Ms Bonett insisted there was no further context needed.

'I am the woman in this video... I pass this checkpoint everyday and always produce my license,' she insisted.

'I see the military daily and don’t have any issues with them, this wasn’t about COVID, this was about me having a car charger on my windscreen and before they asked me to produce a license, they tried opening my car.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Victoria Police for comment. 

'I see the military daily and don¿t have any issues with them, this wasn¿t about COVID, this was about me having a car charger on my windscreen and before they asked me to produce a license, they tried opening my car,' Ms Bonett said.

'I see the military daily and don’t have any issues with them, this wasn’t about COVID, this was about me having a car charger on my windscreen and before they asked me to produce a license, they tried opening my car,' Ms Bonett said.

Ms Bonett said she usually passes through the checkpoint with no issues, showing her license and permit to the officers on duty

Ms Bonett said she usually passes through the checkpoint with no issues, showing her license and permit to the officers on duty

While Melbourne will remain under stage four lockdown until at least September 28, stage three restrictions in regional Victoria are expected to ease within days. 

Mr Andrews said there are only 58 active coronavirus infections in regional Victoria and no new cases since Friday's update.

He remains hopeful the Stage Three restrictions will be eased by the middle of next week, allowing regional Victoria to be 'essentially open'.

'Regional Victoria remains on track to be open to take not one but two steps,' Mr Andrews said on Saturday.

'It is very good news for regional Victoria and I hope every single person in metro Melbourne is looking to the numbers in regional Victoria and seeing what can be delivered.

'Regional Victoria is so close, just a few days and they will potentially be able to take not just a single step but two of those steps and be essentially open.'

It comes after the state recorded just 37 new cases on Saturday - the lowest count in 11 weeks. 

Police expect more anti-lockdown protesters to swarm the streets of Melbourne on Sunday after making 14 arrests during a 'Freedom Walk' rally on Saturday.

Rally organisers have higher hopes for Sunday's event but won't reveal the locations until 20 minutes before prior in a bid to outsmart police.

'Plenty of people showed up, but the police planning prevented people from grouping up, so they had to scatter,' one group admin posted on Facebook on Saturday.

'Tomorrow the police will be on the back foot, and we'll be able to rise.'

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