Charlestown family laments police abuse

Feb 04, 2014 News

– harassed every time some police have to ‘throw box hand’
With recent reports of excessive force being used by members of the Guyana Police Force a Ketley Street, Charlestown, Georgetown family is lamenting the abuse, corruption and brutality of the police.
This peaked on Sunday as a police mobile patrol assaulted O’Rieley Small and his relatives after he allegedly refused to give a bribe to the police who claimed he was wanted in connection with a criminal act.

June Collins and O’Riely Small display their torn tops after being assaulted by police.

“The police come to beg me for money and just because I said me ain’t got no money to give them, they start telling me about murder and dem thing, and they just keep holding me and telling me about charges and carrying me to the station to harass me,” Small said.
His aunt, June Collins, said only Wednesday last he was released from police custody. “Last Sunday he went to the Brickdam Station with his mother to find out what is wrong and the police said he is wanted for a Murder. They hold him for 72 hours then they loose him.
“This thing happening several weeks now, every Sunday they always harassing him and carrying him to the station and never saying what they really want him for,” she said
“So (Sunday ) he and his friend was moving in a car and they stopped in front of we gate…The police pass again and start harassing he (Small) and when we say we going to the media the police hold me and grab me and rip my top and lash me with the gun and they assault he. This happening weeks now,” Ms Collins said.
She further explained that the police wanted to arrest O’Riely Small and when questions were asked to the police as to the reason why he was being arrested the “police said they don’t know and is the big ones that passing the orders .”
Underscoring that the police proceeded to search Small and his friend’s vehicle, Ms Collins said the police found nothing and they were threatening to impound the man’s vehicle because nothing was found to arrest them both.
“Then three vanloads of police come and tell O’Riely come to the station, and he tell them all the time they searching he and they ain’t tell he what he wanted for at the station. He said he sick and tired of the treatment and is best they kill he.
“Then they start assaulting everybody and when they done they left. They even throw down my niece with her child on the ground.” Ms Collins lamented. “They even brave enough to say we can go and make whatever report we want since nothing won’t come out of it, now I want to know if things does work so and police can do people what they want and get away with it. They keep doing these things every time they have to throw box hand.”
Another relative noted that on one occasion the police upturned the home. “They harassing people and going through people panty drawers….they always coming with big guns and got the children dem running under the beds and scattering.”
The family said reports of the assault were made at the Brickdam Police Station and Ruimveldt Police Stations. They are planning to make a complaint to the Police Complaints Authority and other relevant agencies.