Officers who handcuffed, pepper sprayed and tasered Curtis Scott let down the NSW Police force says Raiders coach Ricky Stuart, who has thrown his support behind the star recruit in the wake of this week's legal proceedings.
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Seven charges against Scott, including five for assaulting police, were dropped after explosive vision was played in court which showed the arresting officers' treatment of the 22-year-old.
After waking Scott, who was asleep in the early hours of January 27 underneath a Moore Park tree, police handcuffed the Raiders centre and then reduced him to tears with pepper spray. He was then tasered before the officers filed charges against Scott, claiming they had been assaulted.
"I believe those police officers have let a lot of good police officers down in regards to their actions towards Curtis Scott," Stuart said in a passionate defence of his player on Friday morning.
"Let me say. I support police, I always have. They've got a very very tough job especially in today's environment.
"A lot of sports people get reputations damaged through individuals' poor behaviour. That's happened over many many years that I've been involved. The people that I support in the police, I don't believe they would support those actions of those officers that night."
Scott's legal team is considering taking action against the arresting officers, one of which also stood on the player's ankle while he was still lying underneath the tree.
The disturbing footage also shows an officer saying "You're now under arrest for assault police" moments after Scott was pepper sprayed.
A clearly distressed Scott repeatedly said "I've done nothing wrong", before a police officer produced and used a taser. Scott will not play in Saturday's clash against St George Illawarra, still suffering from the leg injury he picked up two weeks ago against Canterbury.
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"As you can see from the vision, Curtis didn't remember a lot of that but he knew that the treatment that he copped was at the forefront of his mind," Stuart said.
"The club and the players have all rallied around Curtis. We hadn't seen the vision, we could only go off what we were being told.
"He knew that he'd be sacked from the club if he assaulted a police officer. That was always hanging over his head too."
Stuart said the legal case had been weighing heavily on Scott all season.
"I feel for Curtis in regards to what he's had to put up with over the last nine months, I believe it has affected his football, has affected his training," Stuart said.
"Now it's a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. He's never used it as an excuse. He hasn't looked at the soft option. Now seeing what I've seen, I totally understand how it has affected his thinking and preparation towards football."
James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
