'I punched him in the head': Body-cam footage from Town Hall protest emerges

New footage from February's Town Hall protest has emerged showing NSW Police officers boasting about punching a protester. The vision, now circulating on social media, is believed to have emerged during legal proceedings involving one of the protesters charged over the rally. It comes as the police watchdog prepares to hold public hearings later this year into officers' actions during the protest. Body-worn camera footage from the controversial Town Hall protest has emerged showing NSW Police officers apparently boasting about striking a protester, as the state's police watchdog investigates what became the most complained-about incident in its history. The footage, which has been widely shared on social media, captures an officer telling colleagues: "I f***ing pumped that c***. "And then I punched him in the head when he was down," he continues. "I saw that," a female colleague responds, laughing. The officers can be seen walking down George Street as they disperse protesters following the anti-Herzog rally in Sydney in February. Police actions during the Town Hall protest became the subject of intense public scrutiny and saw hundreds of complaints lodged to the state's police watchdog. Videos filmed by protesters and members of the public circulated widely online at the time, however this is the first-known body-worn camera vision to emerge publicly. An NSW Police spokesperson said the force was aware of the video but could not comment because of an ongoing investigation by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC). In May, LECC Chief Commissioner Peter Johnson told an NSW parliamentary inquiry the watchdog had received more than 800 complaints about police conduct at the rally, which was the "greatest number of complaints on one topic in the commission's history". The new footage was posted online by several pro-Palestinian accounts, including former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas, who sustained a serious eye injury after being struck by a police officer during a separate protest. It is unclear how the body-worn camera footage was obtained, however it was understood to have formed part of recent court proceedings involving a protester arrested at the rally. It has been viewed online more than 240,000 times. Video referred to police watchdog In the aftermath of the February protest, NSW Premier Chris Minns rejected calls for an independent inquiry into police actions. "I'm not going condemn the police for doing what we asked them to do, to keep the public safe. I'm not going to throw police under the bus" he told NSW parliament at the time. NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson has referred the body-worn camera footage to the LECC as "evidence of misconduct" by NSW Police. "This footage shows the attitude of the police that night and should result in an immediate suspension and investigation of the officers involved," she said in a statement. The LECC's investigation, called Operation Makalu, is expected to hold public hearings into the matter in the coming months.