Leaked bodycam appears to show NSW officer boasting of punch

By Caleb Reed · 2026-09-01

Footage visible only after a leak

NSW Police did not release this body-worn camera footage. Someone leaked it. The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission opened Operation Makalu on 17 February 2026 to examine the police operation at Sydney Town Hall and surrounds on the evening of 9 February 2026.^[1] The clip now circulating appears to show an officer boasting about punching a protester while the person was down.

No finding of criminal conduct has been made. No officer has been charged, and the material has not been tested in any court or hearing. NSW Police can fairly say the clip is partial, from one camera, and is circulating without full operational context.

What the watchdog is already examining

The LECC said in its Operation Makalu update on 24 May 2026 that it had assessed more than 800 complaints, with 556 made directly to the commission and 267 made to NSW Police.^[2]

The commission said it had reviewed more than 450 items submitted through its DEKKO evidence portal and more than 1,000 hours of CCTV footage.^[2] The LECC also said it had considered material provided by NSW Police, including body-worn video. The commission did not say the leaked clip was among that material.

Public hearings are not expected to begin before September 2026, the LECC said in the same update.^[2] Any findings on individual officer conduct remain for the commission and any internal NSW Police processes to determine.

Why the public did not see this footage sooner

NSW Police held the footage. The NSW Police Force's Viewing of Body Worn Video Footage policy gives commanders significant discretion over access. Under Part 8A of the Police Act 1990, a delegate, usually a Commander or Superintendent, decides whether a complainant can view relevant body-worn video. The said aim is to avoid prejudice to any ongoing investigation.^[4]

Under section 281B of the Criminal Procedures Act 1986, sensitive body-worn video must not be provided to the defence without editing or a Commander's approval.^[4] Those rules exist for legitimate reasons, including protecting victims and witnesses. They also mean police-held footage routinely stays inside the institution unless compelled out by a watchdog, a court, or a leak.

Dr Amanda Davies, a Charles Sturt University researcher who evaluated the NSW Police Force body-worn camera programme, said body-worn cameras should always be recording, especially when officers are responding or deployed for an incident. She said it should not be the choice of the officer as to whether recording happens.^[5] Davies said the risk of selective recording concerned her: "It makes me fearful of biased recordings that only reveal a small part of a larger story."^[5]

NSW Police have not publicly confirmed the footage is genuine. They have not said whether a formal internal process has commenced in relation to the clip or whether the officer depicted has been stood aside. Any determination of officer conduct remains with the LECC and any formal police processes, with public hearings scheduled to begin no earlier than September 2026.^[2]

Caleb Reed

Caleb Reed covers breaking news and sport. He works to the rhythm of a story as it unfolds, and he is happiest when the facts arrive faster than anyone can spin them.