'What is she doing?': Felled cop speaks of surprise after Cup punter shoved him into bushes
The police officer who was abruptly pushed into a flower bed by a female punter at the Melbourne Cup has been "copping it from mates" for being felled by the petite woman's surprise attack.
Video captured the moment the 25-year-old woman, who was arrested on site, believed it a good idea to celebrate her Aussie larrakinism by pushing over the on-duty police officer.
The officer, dressed in full hi-vis uniform, went head-over-heel backwards after being shoved into the bushes.
"I'm certainly copping it from mates all over the world," Acting Superintendant Stephen Coope told 3AW Radio this morning.
"The only thing that's hurt is my pride.
"I certainly don't condone the behaviour but I can certainly see the funny side."
Mr Cooper told 7News he did not know why the woman was approaching him before his unexpected tumble.
GALLERY: Moments of Melbourne cup carnage
"She just walked up to me and I thought, what is she doing?"
"Is she just going to say hello or something? Clearly, not."
Police have since said the woman will be charged.
Acting Supt Cooper was just moments away from briefing television crews and journalists on crowd behaviour across the day at Flemington Racecourse.
"We've had approximately 94,000 people here at the races today, the crowds been very well behaved, we've only had - up until about a minute ago - five police evictions but as of a minute ago we've had another eviction," he said just moments after the incident around 4:30pm.
The woman's unbridled joy lasted only a mere couple of seconds before the reality of two other officers charging in her direction finally hits and she is bundled across the tarmac and away for questioning.
The woman, believed to be in her 20s, has been charged with assaulting police over the incident that saw Act Supt Cooper's glasses broken, a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.
Act Supt Cooper said of the five others arrested, three were animal rights protesters arrested for trespassing on the main straight, one was arrested for being drunk and another arrested for "behaviour offences".
The colour blue may just accommodate some mystical power that attracts controversy. Australia's most infamous Melbourne Cup reveller went viral in November 2012 after she was captured on video dressed in blue and punching other racegoers.
She was shown stumbling around before hitting a couple of patrons and then being held down by security.
"I'm ashamed. And was drugged!!" she wrote from her YouTube account in response to media reports slamming her behaviour.
"This is out of character and at this point, it's a police matter.
"Thank you for all the comments... Nothing is ever as it seems."
[https://au.news.yahoo.com/galleries/g/29981067/best-moments-of-melbourne-cup-carnage/29981068/#1 Moments of Melbourne cup carnage