ACT police officer held in headlock by father of man he was arresting ‘thought he was going to die’

An ACT police officer has told a Canberra court he was terrified and feared for his life when he was attacked from behind during a routine arrest.

The ACT Magistrates Court heard police were called to Gungahlin in Canberra’s north in January 2020 after reports that three men had been fighting near the shopping centre.

Detective Sergeant Jason Taylor told the court that he saw Robert Reid, 38, walking along a street with another man, with obvious facial injuries and broken teeth.

Detective Sergeant Taylor said police pulled over, were talking to Reid and things were calm until Reid’s son drove up.

At that point, police decided to arrest Reid’s son for drink driving.

But the court heard the younger man threatened his father, throwing…