A police employee has been charged over a wild brawl that erupted inside a Woolworths supermarket in Auburn, Western Sydney.
The confrontation broke out between two male shoppers around 1:20pm yesterday, starting with a shove, followed by a kick — before one man grabbed a two-litre bottle of full cream milk and swung it. The bottle exploded on impact, sending milk splashing across the store and drenching a cashier.
"I feel bad for her the most," one witness told 9News.
A woman accompanying one of the men also jumped in to defend him.
"The wife’s a true one — my wife better do that for me too," a bystander said.
"I was actually happy to see the wife jump in for the husband. I thought that was great," added another.
Woolworths confirmed the incident, stating, "There’s no place for violence like this in our stores," and said they are cooperating fully with police investigations.
The arrest of a police employee adds a significant layer of professional scrutiny to the case. While the individual was not a sworn officer, they are still bound by the NSW Police Force Code of Conduct and Ethics.
Following the brawl, the employee—a 34-year-old man—was reportedly suspended from his administrative duties. Under NSW law, if a police employee is charged with a "serious indictable offense" or an act of public violence, they face an internal investigation by the Professional Standards Command. This process determines whether their employment will be terminated, regardless of the eventual court verdict.
Statistics: The Surge in Retail Violence
The Auburn incident is part of a troubling upward trend in retail-based aggression. According to the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA):
- 85% of retail workers reported experiencing some form of abuse or violence in the past year.
- Physical assaults in retail environments across New South Wales have risen by approximately 12% since 2023, often triggered by minor disputes over queues, stock availability, or accidental physical contact.
- The "Milk Bottle" Factor: Using a store item as a weapon significantly upgrades a charge from "Common Assault" to "Assault with a Weapon" or "Armed with Intent to Commit Indictable Offense," which carries much harsher sentencing guidelines, including potential prison time.
The Legal Reality of "Jumping In"
While bystanders in the Auburn store praised the wife for defending her husband, the legal line between Self-Defense and Affray is razor-thin.
In Australia, the law allows for the "reasonable" use of force to defend another person. However, if the intervention escalates the violence—or if the person being "defended" was the original aggressor—the intervener can also be charged.
Legal Note: Under Section 93C of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), a person is guilty of Affray if they use or threaten unlawful violence toward another and their conduct would cause a "person of reasonable firmness" to fear for their personal safety. Affray carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment.
Protecting Retail Staff
The drenching of the Woolworths cashier highlights the vulnerability of service workers. Retailers like Woolworths and Coles have recently invested millions in:
- Body-worn cameras for team leaders.
- Overt CCTV monitors at the end of aisles to discourage physical altercations.
- De-escalation training specifically designed to help staff retreat safely when "supermarket rage" occurs.
If you witness a physical altercation in a public space, authorities recommend alerting security or calling Triple Zero (000) rather than intervening, as seen in the Auburn brawl, which can lead to additional parties being charged.
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