Disturbing footage shows the moment police pin distressed man on ground before he died on the way to hospital
Shocking footage has shown a man being forced to the ground by police shortly before he died on the way to hospital.
Collin Burling, 45, was pinned to the ground on Pitt Street in Waterloo, Sydney, at 2am on Monday.
Mr Burling died in an ambulance on his way to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital after he was handcuffed and restrained on the ground by members of NSW Police.
His distraught partner, Taite Collins, filmed the ordeal from their apartment.
In the footage a police officer can be heard yelling for Mr Burling to ‘stop resisting’ while he was pinned to the floor in handcuffs.
Mr Burling repeatedly said that he was not resisting and that he was ‘not a threat’ despite police claiming that he was.
An investigation has since been launched to figure out what led to his death.
Collin Burling died following an incident in which he was restrained by police
Footage showed police pinning Collin Burling, 45, to the ground on Pitt Street in Waterloo
Ms Collins said their partner was a kind man.
‘He’s a beautiful man, big burly man but he’s got a heart of gold,’ Collins told 9News.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said paramedics had made an ‘urgent request’ of police regarding the incident.
Mr McKenna said mental health issues has played a part in the ordeal and that Mr Burling was at first cooperating with paramedics prior to his death.
Mr Burling suddenly ‘became aggressively resistant’, Mr McKenna said.
He then had to be restrained and when paramedics tried to sedate him and he went into cardiac arrest.
Body-worn cameras will form part of the investigation, although it is not clear if there were any weapons present throughout the altercation, Mr McKenna added.
An investigation has since been launched into the circumstances surrounding his death
A critical incident investigation team from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad will now probe the circumstances around the incident.
Four junior police will be interviewed as part of this investigation.
The Professional Standards Command will independently review any findings produced by the investigation.
It will also be overseen by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.
