Victoria Police officers cleared of manslaughter charges

A magistrate has dismissed negligent manslaughter charges against two Victoria Police officers, Sergeant James Fitzgerald and Constable Alexander Papanastassis, regarding the 2024 death of builder Luke Briggs.

Briggs died in a hospital in July 2024, eight days after being arrested in a Hoppers Crossing car park. During the arrest, Briggs became unresponsive, and officers performed CPR while awaiting paramedics. While Briggs reportedly used the phrase “I can’t breathe” before his death, Magistrate Patrick Southey ruled that the case bore no comparison to the George Floyd case in the United States.

Southey stated that the evidence was too weak for a conviction, noting that while the manner of restraint may have been the cause of death, it could not be proven. The magistrate described the officers' actions as “the best they could do in all the circumstances,” noting that Briggs was a large man whose behavior was irrational due to methamphetamine use.