Layou man claims that he was beaten by police

A resident of Layou is alleging that he was beaten on Saturday by three police officers because of something he said.{{more}}

David “Happy” James says he was enjoying himself during the Carnival Development Corporation’s (CDC) whistle stop on May 4, when all hell broke loose between partygoers and police, which saw the street party come to a grinding halt.

James, 30, visited SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday to give his version of what happened.

The plumber by profession said he was enjoying himself at the event when he suddenly heard people screaming.

“Me hear people bawl fuh murder and when me look, me see like some man get shoot,” James recounted.

Two men were shot by an officer during the fracas.

“So, when me dey watching how it going down, a woman who was standing beside me say, “Alyo too wicked, alyo too wicked”, then me see the police come and grab the lady and I said “Yuh go lose yo work…”

That is when, James said, matters took a turn for the worst.

“The officer just come and grabble me and start to ill-treat me…”

James, who has been living in Layou for about 20 years, said he was dragged to the Police Station and repeatedly beaten in his head with a gun.

During his interview with SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday, he wore a plaster on his head, which he said covered the wound he sustained from being beaten with a police officer’s gun.

“Them kick me all in me rib, burst me head, kick me in me throat and just ill-treat me and me na do nothing. All now me car eat or sleep properly,” James related.

Eyewitnesses told SEARCHLIGHT on Saturday that they could see James being beaten through the window of the Layou police station.

James said that before he was taken to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital for treatment, a police officer, wearing a pair of gloves, wiped off his face, which was washed in blood.

James said after receiving medical attention, he was taken to the Central Police Station. While there, he said the same police officer who had struck him with the gun told him, “You lucky me na shoot you!”

“Me na see no reason why they have to do me this. I can’t even put my teeth together because of all the pain coming from my ear. The pain is just too much,” the man lamented.

James also showed SEARCHLIGHT a copy of an injury form that was given to him by doctors at the hospital. The form indicated that he suffered a three centimetre laceration to the right frontal area of the scalp.

James was released from police custody without being charged. (KW)