Police assault man in prison

Nov 18, 2010 News

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– hit in head with padlock

Yolanda Schultz, of Lot 4 Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, is terribly upset and distressed at the actions of the Guyana Police Force.
She told this newspaper yesterday that on Friday, last, some police officers came to her residence at 4:00hrs and forced their way into her house, after they told the family to open their door.

Her daughter, Lakisha Schultz, and her 22-year-old son, Winston John, were then notified that they were “under arrest” and were taken to the East La Penitence and Brickdam Police Stations, respectively.
Yolanda stated that the police “did not produce any paperwork or warrant to show that their cause of action was justified”.
Yolanda told Kaieteur News that on Tuesday, last, around 01:30 hrs, her cousin called her and told her that she was at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and that she saw Winston with “his head bleeding and he was accompanied by a police officer”.
When she arrived at the GPHC, Winston told his mother that his cell was soaked up due to the heavy rainfall and he could not sleep, so he was trying to tell the police officers on duty at that time, that his cell was soaked. They paid him no attention, so he shouted a little to get their attention, telling them his cell was wet.
Apparently the officers were upset that they were being disturbed, so one particular officer walked over to his cell, opened it and then took the padlock and “knock Winston in his head until it started bleeding profusely”.
He was then taken to the GPHC for medical assistance since he was badly injured.
The mother is contending that after the incident which occurred in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, upon return to the police station, her son was charged for “stealing some lady cell phone” and had to attend court.
The police told the Magistrate that her son was absent from court for five consecutive times and with that, the Magistrate refused bail. However; when Winston pleaded “not guilty” to the charge, he asked the Magistrate to “say something”.
He told the Magistrate what occurred during his tenure in the lock-ups and this caused her to issue bail in the sum of $100,000.
Yolanda is claiming that “something is ticklish and funny about this situation” because it took the police five days to “find something to charge Winston with” and it was only after the police assaulted him, then a charge was found.
The mother explained that on Friday evening her daughter was released from the police station after she, the mother, went to speak with a “Mister Caesar”, who reassured her that both of her children would be set free.
On Saturday morning, she went to speak with “Mister Caesar” who told her that he could not set both free at the same time, that her son would be freed some time Saturday. She was also referred to Inspector Watts, who asked her “Why didn’t you come earlier? We done release the rest; it too late to release him right now.”
Yolanda told the Kaieteur News reporter that on Friday when they arrested her son, the police did not say why he was being arrested, but that whenever she frequented the station, all she was being told was that Winston was “being held on an investigation”.
The woman said that she spoke with a ‘Sergeant Gravesande’ on Monday, who told her that they had an arrest warrant for her son and Inspector Davis told her that “Mister Caesar” was handling the matter, so she needed to speak with him.
She stated that Sergeant Gravesande told her to “wait until Tuesday” and that her son will either be released or put on bail. The CID secretary told Yolanda, after the mother went to enquire what type of arrest warrant was issued for her son, that she “already told them she doesn’t know about any warrant for him neither did she see any warrant”.
Yolanda added that about one month ago, police arrested her son three times, without stating what offence he had committed. They released him on all three occasions because he was innocent.
According to Yolanda, last year December, Winston was ‘picked up by the police’, and had to go to court on Old Year’s Day, but the Magistrate had already “closed off” and was not seeing anyone else.
Winston was placed on $15,000 bail and was told to return to court the following day. He kept returning to court, without having a matter called up, and Inspector Davis told her that he “did not see any charge against him” and subsequently she was told to produce her bail receipt, which was signed by relevant authorities, for her to collect her $15,000.
When Kaieteur News visited the Brickdam Police Station yesterday, a source inside the station stated that the reporter should return on Thursday to find out the relevant information from the officer who was on duty that evening.
He also stated that he feels that the accusations are being leveled against an officer named “Clements”.

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