A student was allegedly “ruthlessly tackled” by transport officers for failing to tap his Myki travel card on a Melbourne bus. The confrontation, which took place on the 601 bus between Huntingdale Station and Monash University, left eyewitnesses in disbelief as the situation quickly escalated.
Videos shared on social media show the young man pinned to the floor, gasping for air while a group of ‘authorised officers’ attempted to restrain him.
Footage captured by passengers shows officers shouting at the student to stop resisting, while he insisted he was not. Witnesses described the encounter as brutal, with one bystander claiming the student struggled to breathe under the weight of the officers.
One witness wrote online, “Today, on the 601 Monash shuttle bus, a poor young man — part of an ethnic group and likely just a student trying to get to class — was ruthlessly tackled by five Myki officers. His crime? Trying to escape a fine for not tapping on.”
According to news.com.au, Victoria Police confirmed they responded to reports of an assault on a transport officer and arrested a 24-year-old man from Ivanhoe East, who was later released. While the police made no mention of the Myki card failure, an investigation is underway to assess the events that transpired on the bus.
Other passengers documented the incident and raised questions about the officers’ use of force in response to what many perceived as a minor infraction. The incident sparked outrage online, with calls for accountability and a closer examination of how transport regulations are enforced.