Housing commission resident accused of BITING a police officer while attempting to escape lockdown screams 'let me up' as five cops pin him down during dramatic arrest
- A man accused of biting police while trying to flee lockdown will face court
- The 32-year-old will face charges including assaulting police, resisting arrest
- About 3000 residents in Melbourne have spent their third night in isolation
- At least 53 COVID-19 cases are linked to the social housing estates on lockdown
A man accused of biting a police officer while attempting to escape his Melbourne housing commission block has been charged with assault and resisting arrest.
The 32-year-old Flemington man was filmed scuffling with up to six police officers on Monday afternoon while repeatedly screaming 'let me up'.
Five officers can be seen pinning the man down during the dramatic arrest in a video uploaded to TikTok.
The footage, captured by an individual who seems to be defending the man, does not capture the moment the man allegedly bit an officer.
Police allege the man was attempting to escape his Flemington housing commission block, which was one of nine towers forced into total lockdown as Victoria grapples with a second wave of coronavirus.
The estates, which were placed under strict orders late on Saturday, are on lockdown for at least five days.
The estates are located in Flemington and North Melbourne.
Victoria recorded 191 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday - its worst figure yet - as the government prepares to lock down the entire state for a month.
At least 53 COVID-19 cases are linked to the housing estates to date, with concerns rising a 10th estate could be placed into lockdown.
The 32-year-old, accused of biting a police officer while attempting to escape one of nine public housing estates on COVID-19 lockdown in Melbourne, can be seen scuffling with police officers while yelling 'let me up' on a video uploaded to TikTok (pictured)
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said the man accused of biting police was taken into custody and charged with assaulting and resisting police as well as an attempted COVID-19 breach.
The man's charges come as Victorian federal Labor MP Peter Khalil said the state's severe lockdown of the public housing estates added to residents' disadvantage.
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'Many residents are already faced with the challenges of language and communication barriers, are new migrants and already experience socio-economic disadvantage,' he said.
'People living in these nine towers are now subject to another layer of disadvantage based on their residents being high-density housing.'
Nine public housing estates in Flemington and North Melbourne have been placed on lockdown as the state's COVID-19 tally continues to soar. A total of 53 cases have so far been linked to the estates in isolation
