‘Disturbing!’ – Probe Launched After Cops Caught On Video In Tussle With Woman
The relationship between Jamaican citizens and the 151-year-old Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is facing renewed scrutiny as a “disturbing” video showing St Andrew policemen kneeling on a woman’s abdomen and grabbing her by the hair as they seek to carry out an arrest has gone viral.
The Inspectorate of the Constabulary is probing the incident, and a report is expected to be submitted by tomorrow to Commissioner of Police Dr Carl Williams.
The unidentified woman, who could be seen resisting the attempts to arrest her, has been charged with doing that as well as using indecent language and unlawful wounding.
She is on bail.
But Terrence Bent, senior superintendent of police and commanding officer for the Area 4 police, in which St Andrew falls, said what took place between the police and the woman in Gordon Town on Saturday afternoon did not look good.
“[It’s] disturbing. Some of the things that I saw were clearly not what is required in making an arrest,” he told The Gleaner, noting that “if policy is breached, we want to record all of the evidence and then we would want to place that before a tribunal if required to”.
Questioned further on what he specifically found disturbing, the senior police officer pointed to the pulling of the woman’s hair, which he said “would be outside of what I would consider to be effective and humane treatment of a prisoner”.
“I don’t want to dig too deep into the content. If the person recording the video does not come forward, that cannot be attributed to anyone and cannot be put into evidence. But I know definitely, the sum of the incident is disturbing,” he added.
The video, seen by The Gleaner, is about four and a half minutes long.
Bent said he could not speak conclusively on what led to the tussle, but the video started with shouts of “police brutality” by an onlooker as the woman is pushed on to the side of a police van marked ‘Area 4’.
Amid shouts of “Video it!”, inaudible exchanges take place among the three. Seconds later, the policemen take out their handcuffs, after which the woman sits on the ground and fights off the attempts to restrain her.
At one point, a policeman holds the woman’s hair in an apparent effort to reach her hands.
Soon after, the woman is on her back on the roadside as one policeman kneels on her abdomen.
After she is handcuffed, the policemen force her into their van with shouts of dissent from onlookers.
An individual who posted the video on Facebook and who claimed to have been on the scene said the policemen sought to arrest the woman after she allegedly directed a profane comment at them in response to a similar comment directed at her.
Meanwhile, Bent is warning citizens to be mindful of the dangers when police are executing their duties.
“Oftentimes when things like that happen, persons who are not about law and order, persons take the opportunity to do illegal things. If you have issues, you can raise them at the appropriate place and time,” Bent said.
He said a corporal and two constables from the Half-Way Tree police, who were involved in the incident, remain on front-line duty.
The Inspectorate of the Constabulary’s Ray Palmer is leading the probe.
Witnesses, several of whom can be seen on the video, are being asked to give statements to the police.
Saturday’s incident comes weeks after an incident in which a team of police was accused of shooting into an illegal taxi, injuring a schoolgirl.
In June, a commission of enquiry issued a report on the May 2010 police-military operation that criticised the security forces for their treatment of citizens and made several recommendations for institutional reform.
Big up mi boss and friend superintendent Terrence Bent reeeeaal General!
More like a big cunt.
Mek u seh suh Cindy a weh Bent do yuh? :maho
G, all last night mi all a mix up good good Terrence Williams name with your ole wicked friend Bent enuh.
He hasn’t done me anything personally, but what is good for the goose is good for the gander, so what he did & allowed to happen to Kentucky Kid could happen to me & other Jamaicans. I’m raising a boy child & I wouldn’t want the likes of Terrence Bent’s hand even bounce on him by mistake, because is pure crosses would take him the way how Bent whole soul curse. Him fi gwey.
U sure u still naa mix up Bent with Williams, Cindy? Bent is no angel but he’s one of the co0olest… rest assure, if she complies with Bent nuh dibby dibby police cyaa touch r dat much mi KNOW! If she chooses not to thats her choice but Dat man weh name Bent iz the real G!
No no G. Terrence Williams is the INDECOM man who deals with people like Terrence Bent.
G hail up the general of course. him no owe nobody. him know him work and a do it.
but G den is how you one alone know so much unscrupulous ppl who mek the wall…u popula eh man :ngakak :ngakak :ngakak i kid i kid. nuh badda cuss me
Small world we might no each other too yuh knoww :maho
:ngakak @ “DI SUCK YUH MADDA POLICE”. Are you sending them a message Met? This looks very message-ish.
I wasn’t able to take a look at the video but from what I read the police was out of land, there are different ways an officer can restrain a woman without pulling her hair or even having your knees in her abdomen it’s crazy how police brutality is getting out of hand around the world not only in the united states but around the world and it has to stop across the board. I hope that justice and something is done to hold the officer(s) accountable for their actions. That’s what needs to happen hold these officers accountable and show them they are not above the law.
Mi aguh wash yu mout out wid soap.
Di lady gone ina hiding…u si how Jamaica set up
Met you serious??? I dont kno y dem want the lady and the video done viral kmt
She change up her facebook and remove the videos etc
Mek dem move dem bbc and gweh and low di gyal, dem want talk to you any old way and expect you fi respect dem. A shoulda me mek me chip naked and piss pon dem ole crowbate, a so dem learn fi handle confrontation.
The same police will send him squady or him gunman friends dem fi go kill d woman if she go testify against him…. Police shot a fren of mine and he was going to court on the police. One day he was sitting at his gate with his friends when an unmarked car drove up full with police n they took only him n drove away, luckily a girl saw what was happening n start driving behind them until she saw police van n stopped the van n told them what was happening, the police van put on their siren on and trailed the unmarked car, when the unmarked car stopped the police from the van went over and spoke to them and that’s how they let my friend go….the girl that was driving behind them took him back home and the next day he left that community, My friend ended up winning the case tho
I hope the changes for her is good.
God work in mysterious ways.