A young Muslim man who was arrested as part of an operation which foiled an ANZAC Day attack is suing Victoria Police for brutality.
Eathan Cruse claimed police officers kicked and punched him in the face during a raid on his parents’ home in April 2015 when he was only 19-years-old.
He said: “I got kicked in the head, then (the officer) grabs me, slams me onto the fridge … and then he hit me with his gun.”
Mr Cruse is now suffering depression after being arrested and was later released without charge.
His friend, Sevdet Besin, was sentenced to 14 years in jail for planning to behead a police officer on ANZAC Day.
Mr Cruse added: “I didn’t know anything about it. He’s a good friend. I love him, he’s a good guy.”
He was also close with Numan Haider, who was shot dead by police after stabbing two officers.
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His father Glen is critical of the force police used that day.
Glen said: “He was only a skinny little kid but somehow two cops couldn’t subdue him.”
In a joint statement, Mr Cruse’s lawyers and the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service say his family decided on the lawsuit after being unsatisfied with the outcome of the police complaints system.
Mr Cruse is seeking compensation for his significant mental injuries.
However, no one was willing to speak at his house on Tuesday.
