Thursday, May 3, 2018
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
ANOTHER viral video of a police officer’s physical attack on a person has prompted criticism across social media.
In a one minute clip posted online yesterday, a police officer strikes a man in the face at least twice. The video is blurry but the man did not appear to be resisting arrest.
The caption on the video posted to a Facebook page said: “Two police officers were caught on camera moments ago, beating down a young man in public. He was even beaten more as his friends watched because he began crying from getting slapped.”
At one point in the video, an officer in a khaki police uniform can be heard asking the man, “What you crying for?”
He then struck him in the face again.
The video has since been shared hundreds of times on Facebook. One user said: “They need to fire all them.”
Another said: “The way some of y’all police act, y’all act as if y’all don’t have family and loved ones and y’all ain’ want them to be treated the way y’all treat people family (sic)…”
The video comes less than a week after another video of a police officer slapping a man on a beach prompted Police Commissioner Anthony Ferguson to open an investigation into the matter.
In that 14-second clip, an officer steadily walked toward a man and slapped him across the face, causing the man to stumble more than once.
Commissioner Ferguson said the matter is being investigated by Deputy Commissioner Emrick Seymour.
Yesterday Deputy Commissioner Seymour said the matter has been sent to the Police Complaints Unit. He would not give a timeline when that investigation will be completed. As for the new video, he said he had not seen it.
Critics have long derided the process by which complaints of abuse against police officers are investigated, not least because it is controlled and overseen exclusively by officers.
Often, the public is not informed about the outcome of particular investigations.
National Security Minister Marvin Dames has said the government will form a committee to review complaints against officers “to ensure that there is balance in investigations by police”; however, it’s not clear when the committee will be established or whether it will feature public reporting mechanisms.
Mr Dames has also said an inspectorate will be introduced for oversight compliance for all law enforcement agencies amid concerns about corruption.
A poll commissioned by Transparency International last year suggested Bahamians are more concerned and familiar with police corruption than corruption from any other institution.
Comments
Sickened says...
The police need to go into schools and slap the shit out of all the kids who don't have at least a C average!
Posted 3 May 2018, 10:31 a.m. Suggest removal
John says...
They need to start by slapping you for making such an ignorant statement
Posted 3 May 2018, 3:15 p.m. Suggest removal
DDK says...
What is this? Why aren't the "police" in the videos dismissed if the evidence is right there? What's to investigate? This IS sickening and does not bode well for the Country. Why do we need inspectorates and committees? Are there not laws on the books against blatant police brutality?
Posted 3 May 2018, 11:31 a.m. Suggest removal
Porcupine says...
So, why is Jerome Fitzgerald still able to consider politics after his emails came out begging for money? There are no consequences for bad behaviour here. Look at our roads. Look at the number of serious crimes committed that never go to court, if they do go to court, the witnesses are threatened. People pretty much do as they please. I went to Whim's the other day. Why do so many people feel that they should not be bothered to take a ticket, like everyone else? I don't have any other answer than to say that basically, when there are no repercussions to bad behaviour, we start drifting to the bad side. There must be consequences for bad behaviour. Otherwise, bad habits will persist.
Posted 3 May 2018, 1:10 p.m. Suggest removal
joeblow says...
They did this with other people around. Imagine what they could be capable of when no one is around!
Posted 3 May 2018, 1:46 p.m. Suggest removal
AntiPoliceBrutality says...
They will shoot ya ass and say you threaten they life *EVEN THOUGH THEY PHYSICALLY CAUSE HARM FIRST*That's how physcos go, just like that man Christopher Watts who kill he family and play like he ain't know what happen😂😂
Posted 15 August 2019, 9:25 p.m. Suggest removal
John says...
For years and even before ***The Tribune*** started this page, I maintained that some police officers, albeit the wayward ones, were responsible for many of the young men becoming angry, turning antisocial and eventually indulging in crime. Violent crime at that. These police officers, some after having a few drinks, yes alcoholic, among other substances, target young men from the inner city areas and under the pretense of policing, they verbally and physically abused these individuals and even 'tax' them or money. Some of the men are dressed in work uniform either headed to or from work and have their vehicles searched and virtually torn apart by these ruthless coldhearted and rogue police officers. Sometimes the victims were dared to speak a word and some were left on deserted streets to put their vehicles back together while in the fear of being robbed or even harmed by criminals. Other were made late for work and some were detained by police for up to five days missing either work or college classes being abused and even being threatened to be shot by out of control police officers and so some conclude, 'if this how y'all treat me when I innocent I may as well be a criminal And some eventually fall off and drop out of society make no mistake: The majority of police officers are honest dedicated trustworthy and hardworking individuals who serve their country well an make every Bahamian proud But the rogue ones must be dealt with. and if there was one thing the former commissioner of police did not tolerate was police officers who broke the law.
Posted 3 May 2018, 5:35 p.m. Suggest removal
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