Police officer being sued after his horse dribbled on protestor

A lawsuit has been launched against a police officer in Victoria, Australia, on behalf of a protester who was dribbled on by a police horse and left with a swollen foot.

Protester Alexander Forbes was among a 100-strong demonstration at the Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre in May 2011. The demonstration flared up as the group, which was protesting against mandatory detention, was marching to a nearby shopping centre.



Amid the melee, Mr Forbes claims he was "salivated" on by a police horse, causing his clothing to become wet - an incident that caused him distress as two people commented on the amount of horse saliva on his clothes. The same horse also stepped on the 20-year-old's foot, causing swelling that required a trip to hospital.

Mr Forbes was discharged the same day. He has now filed a writ at the County Court of Victoria through the Fleming and Kensington Community Legal Centre. He is suing Leading Senior Constable Michelle Turner, who was riding the horse at the time, as well as the state of Victoria.