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A police officer was brutally kicked in the face as he tried to arrest a teenage shoplifting suspect.
Stunned Boxing Day shoppers looked on as the assailant kicked the crouching officer and then ran off through the crowded mall.
The violent attack was captured on CCTV as two officers attempted to detain a 16-year-old boy who was on the floor.
Another young person appears to try to intervene but is unable to stop the attacker as he kicks the officer in the head.
The senior constable was taken to hospital to be treated for injuries to his face.
He suffered bruising and was able to return to work the day after Tuesday's attack at the Highpoint Shopping Centre in Melbourne, Australia.