Two more claim they were beaten by police

Two men are claiming to have felt the heavy arm of the law over the weekend in incidents which they claim involved members of the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) and officers stationed at the Questelles Police station.{{more}}

In separate visits to Searchlight on Monday, less than one hour apart, 19-year-old Castion Stapleton Lewis and 29-year-old Stuvius Diamond made claims of police brutality and displayed scars and bandages to support their allegations.

Lewis, a resident of Kingstown Park, claims that he was assaulted by three members of the ‘Black Squad’ (RRU) on Friday night while he was “hanging out” at the Bay View Car Park just before midnight.

“I was there listening to music from the “We Ting” bashment when a guy I never see before call me across,” Lewis recounted.

“When I went over to him, he ask me if I know the guy standing next to him, I say ‘yeah’.” From that, he grab me and say next time I see him (the other officer) I must never be disrespectful again, and he box me in my mouth.”

The unemployed construction worker admitted that he and the second officer had been involved in a disagreement in December last year, but he had thought that the situation had been forgotten.

“After he hit me I say, ‘Just so you box me?’, then the second one and another one run up on me and started to beat me.”

Lewis claims that he was hit in the eye with a gun by one of the officers, then thrown to the ground and kicked.

The youth also claims that he was not arrested by the officers, but made his way to the Central Police Station to make a report, only to be laughed at and ignored by members of the Criminal Investigations Department (C.I.D).

He, however, returned on Monday and successfully lodged a complaint with the Public Relations Department.

Diamond, the other person who claims to have been on the receiving end of a police officer’s gun butt, said he encountered officers from the Questelles Police Station on Saturday morning when they were called to quell a disturbance between Diamond’s wife and his 19-year-old step son.

“I was having drinks with some friends when my wife call and tell me she and her son get way.”

Diamond said he left the shop not too far from his home in Campden Park with the intention of cooling down the youngster, who appeared to be in a rage.

“He (his step-son) tek a half ah blocks and hit me on my (right) foot then run.”

Just after that, police arrived on the scene and advised the injured man to seek medical attention.

The labourer admitted to Searchlight that because of the pain he was experiencing, he didn’t hear the officers’ words of advice; but he saw them standing around while his attacker fled.

“I say, “Way the (expletive). Look the man going dey and all yo not arresting him?”

With that, Diamond was duly arrested for use of obscene language and taken to the Questelles Police Station.

“When we on de way to the station, de guy and dem just keep brutalizing me: kicking me, cuffing me and hitting me wid dey gun. I was not fighting with them, I was just shielding my body.”

Diamond alleges that when they arrived at the station, the beating continued, and claims that a well aimed swing by one of the officers with a gun cracked his skull just above his left temple.

According to Diamond, he was then taken to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, where he was left by the officers without any further word and without being charged.

Diamond received three stitches for the head wound and one stitch for the cut on his foot.

“They didn’t meet me with no drugs, I didn’t resist arrest. Why they had to do this to me? I want justice!” claims Diamond.

As for the family conflict that set the wheels in motion, Diamond said that his stepson has since apologized to him and his wife and all is well on the home front.

He is hoping that an apology will come from the powers that be in the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force for what he claims transpired early that Saturday morning.

Up to press time, Diamond had not made a report to the Police Public Relations Department. (JJ)