Melbourne Musician Fined After Police Altercation During Flight

Melbourne rapper and producer Bolic Bet Malou, who goes by the name Rockstar Bo La, appeared in court on Friday (July 21) after allegedly causing chaos on a Jetstar flight from Perth to Melbourne on March 18, as reported by news.com.au.

Upon discovering his wife and child had moved seats after boarding, Malou reportedly sat next to them and refused to budge, despite being told by the cabin crew to do so.

Things quickly escalated when the captain called the Australian Federal Police, who reportedly wrestled with Malou, who allegedly attempted to place one of the officers in a headlock.

Malou was then tasered three times before being removed from the flight. He was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing a Commonwealth public official.

The entire ordeal was captured on video, which has since done the rounds on social media.

@australiancommunitymedia

Footage of Bolic Bet Malou’s arrest went viral back in March, 2023. #arrest #afp #australianfederalpolice #planearrest #flightarrest #police #malou #jetstar #tasered

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Despite pleading guilty to the charges, Malou insisted he “did nothing wrong”.

“I’d rather be with my family than fight a meaningless war,” he said. “I didn’t resist arrest, but by law, when the police come and do that, obviously it’s obstruction ... You can’t fight the law.”

According to 7NEWS, Commonwealth prosecutor Rhys Mola said it was one the most serious incidents to occur on an aircraft in WA for some time.

“The incident was confronting for others and caused distress for those on board. The accused’s conduct certainly compromised the safety of other passengers,” he said.

“(And) made it substantially more difficult for the police to perform their duties. The defiance and aggression significantly frustrated the ability of officers to remove him from the aircraft.”

Malou previously told 9News he “felt like an animal” during the alleged incident.

“I was tasered and carried out of the place,” he said. “I felt like an animal; it doesn’t feel great in front of your one-year-old son.”

AFP Superintendent Peter Hatch previously defended the actions of the officers, saying that they have "zero tolerance for anyone choosing to behave poorly on aircraft".

"Our officers and airline workers are there to ensure everyone has a safe journey; it's important for the public to treat everyone at the airport with respect," he said.

"This kind of behaviour is unacceptable from any passenger; if the man had simply complied with the directions of airline staff and the police, the incident could have been avoided."

Malou was fined $1500 and ordered to pay $264.30 in costs on the disorderly conduct charge and has also been sentenced to a 12-month Commonwealth Conditional Release Order.