A group of “overzealous” police officers have been called in to stop and confront a man for jaywalking in the middle of the day.
Three police officers were filmed getting out of an unmarked police vehicle in Liverpool, Sydney, on May 4, to confront the pedestrian.
Initially, the jaywalker recorded himself walking away, but officers were able to catch up with him and the situation escalated.
He was then confronted by one of the officers, who told him: “You just jaywalked, take off your ID, please put your phone down.”
The man shared footage of his interaction with police officers, sparking intense reaction online.
Three police officers in an unmarked car swooped in to stop a jaywalker in Liverpool, Sydney, on May 4.
“OMG…just jaywalking,” one said, while a second added: “No wonder people disrespect cops so much.” Seriously, jaywalking?
A third added: “It’s a joke that jaywalking is illegal, Australian police have nothing better to do.”
Another simply called the police officers “overzealous.”
In New South Wales, jaywalking became illegal a decade ago under Regulation 231 of the New South Wales Highway Rules 2014.
According to this regulation, people can only begin crossing at pedestrian traffic lights when the traffic light is green.
Anyone who walks against a flashing red signal or crosses within 20 meters of a marked intersection can be fined between $75 and $220.
If challenged in court and unsuccessful, these fines can increase up to $2,200, Armstrong Legal reports.