A senior police officer has been referred to Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog over an alleged road rage incident outside a school.
Victoria police on Friday confirmed it had referred deputy commissioner Neil Paterson to the state’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (Ibac) over an incident at a Melbourne school in July.
Paterson, who is understood not to have been in uniform or driving a marked police vehicle at the time, and a parent at the school reportedly engaged in a heated argument as traffic banked up around the school.
Ibac will investigate whether he misused his position and authority during the verbal altercation and subsequent correspondence with a school parent.
Police confirmed they had received a complaint regarding the July interaction.
“As per the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Act 2011, Victoria police has referred the matter to Ibac,” the force said in a statement.
Ibac is the state’s anti-corruption body responsible for exposing public sector corruption and police misconduct.
Victoria police is required by law to refer complaints against officers with a rank of assistant commissioner and above to Ibac.