Police Abuse
On February 28, 2007 I clashed with a policeman at the tax office or strictly speaking he clashed with me. It all started when a man in a line became a little loud in expressing his dissatisfaction with the movement of the line. In no time, in comes the policeman and removes the man from the line and begins having words with the man. On seeing the situation, I lamented the irony of the matter. Here it is, people are standing in snail-moving lines to pay taxes that eventually pay him and he is harassing the man who wants to pay his taxes and just wants the line moving faster. Those comments drew the policeman’s anger and he pointed at and then told me to shout up. I responded to him and said for what. After that many other people joined in as we discuss the problems country and how as soon as people express their dissatisfaction with the state, the same people we pay to protect turn and harass us.
After the policeman was completed talking to the man, He spoke to two other people and then he wanted to talk to me. I turned by back and told him to talk and that I had nothing more to say to him. That is when he grabbed my arm and attempted to spin me around. I resisted and he did this about 2 times and then attempted to push me out of the tax office. That was when everything became ugly as people who all along stood in their respective lines broke away and a large crowd now surrounded us.
Move and keep moving
Upset and now frightened he order me to move and keep moving and to leave the building telling me that if I failed to do so he would have to charge me. I ask him on what grounds was I being asked to leave; after all I had done nothing. I initially refused but a gentleman, someone I was acquainted with sometime ago, advised me to leave since the policeman had given an order. I was hesitant but given that crowd that had now gathered around us and that the policeman now had his hand on his gun, I decided just he case this ‘nuthead’ loses his cool I better step outside, so I did.
He created the damn situation. There is no law that says I have to look at him while he talks to me and he has no right to grab my arm and forcibly try to turn me around. There is no law that says I have to respond to a policeman or is there? If I am being questioned I have the right to keep quiet and if I want, request the presence of legal advice before I answer.
Squad Car
Afterward I was held in a room, supposedly a security post, where the policeman proceeded to call a squad car to pick me up and carry me to the Constant Spring police station. He asked me where I worked, so I showed him my company ID. That is when he went off on a tangent saying how my Managing Director was the chairman of the Police Services Commission on how if he heard about my behaviour he would fire me. I said not a word as right now I had enough.
An Inspector of police and another policeman came in and listened to officer give his version of the story. Interestingly they asked me not a word but asked him if everything under control to which he responded yes and they left.
There was now mention of me being warned for prosecution, as for what to this point I do not know. After that he asked me my name and details, I handed him my ID. He then again asked me where I worked and this time I handed my work ID. The officers from the tax office try to convince to just forget it but he was stung and just going on and on. The worker or officer from the tax office said I could have been nicer to him and I should not have ignored him. The only thing I told him that if he felt I had been rude to him as a person, I was sorry but that was it.
He and the officer from the tax office then told me to do my business at another tax office, I told them no way as I had done nothing wrong. The officer of the tax office asked, given the situation and the mood inside, if I could come back in about and one hour. I returned in about 40 minutes went to the back of the line but a lady in the line upon seeing me offered me a position in front of her and others seeing it was me merely smiled their approval. As for the squad car, I do not know what happened.
Police Complaints Division
Later in the day, I was trying to get tickets for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 on Ocean Boulevard, when I remembered that the Police Complaints Division (PCD) was somewhere nearby. After failing to get my tickets, as it was now a few minutes after 4:00 p.m., I went across the road to the Police Complaints Division. I discussed the incident with and officer, and they have asked me to come back. Hopefully I will find the time. The only thing was I was asked if I knew the name or ID of the officer and if I had any witnesses I could call upon. Unfortunately I had not gotten those details. The Sergeant I spoke to expressed her disappointment at the policeman’s actions.
There are a few things I forgot to do, but if there is any incident like this again or you find yourself in a similar situation:
1. Get the ID, and name if possible, of the policeman
2. Get the names and telephone number of witnesses
After the policeman was completed talking to the man, He spoke to two other people and then he wanted to talk to me. I turned by back and told him to talk and that I had nothing more to say to him. That is when he grabbed my arm and attempted to spin me around. I resisted and he did this about 2 times and then attempted to push me out of the tax office. That was when everything became ugly as people who all along stood in their respective lines broke away and a large crowd now surrounded us.
Move and keep moving
Upset and now frightened he order me to move and keep moving and to leave the building telling me that if I failed to do so he would have to charge me. I ask him on what grounds was I being asked to leave; after all I had done nothing. I initially refused but a gentleman, someone I was acquainted with sometime ago, advised me to leave since the policeman had given an order. I was hesitant but given that crowd that had now gathered around us and that the policeman now had his hand on his gun, I decided just he case this ‘nuthead’ loses his cool I better step outside, so I did.
He created the damn situation. There is no law that says I have to look at him while he talks to me and he has no right to grab my arm and forcibly try to turn me around. There is no law that says I have to respond to a policeman or is there? If I am being questioned I have the right to keep quiet and if I want, request the presence of legal advice before I answer.
Squad Car
Afterward I was held in a room, supposedly a security post, where the policeman proceeded to call a squad car to pick me up and carry me to the Constant Spring police station. He asked me where I worked, so I showed him my company ID. That is when he went off on a tangent saying how my Managing Director was the chairman of the Police Services Commission on how if he heard about my behaviour he would fire me. I said not a word as right now I had enough.
An Inspector of police and another policeman came in and listened to officer give his version of the story. Interestingly they asked me not a word but asked him if everything under control to which he responded yes and they left.
There was now mention of me being warned for prosecution, as for what to this point I do not know. After that he asked me my name and details, I handed him my ID. He then again asked me where I worked and this time I handed my work ID. The officers from the tax office try to convince to just forget it but he was stung and just going on and on. The worker or officer from the tax office said I could have been nicer to him and I should not have ignored him. The only thing I told him that if he felt I had been rude to him as a person, I was sorry but that was it.
He and the officer from the tax office then told me to do my business at another tax office, I told them no way as I had done nothing wrong. The officer of the tax office asked, given the situation and the mood inside, if I could come back in about and one hour. I returned in about 40 minutes went to the back of the line but a lady in the line upon seeing me offered me a position in front of her and others seeing it was me merely smiled their approval. As for the squad car, I do not know what happened.
Police Complaints Division
Later in the day, I was trying to get tickets for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 on Ocean Boulevard, when I remembered that the Police Complaints Division (PCD) was somewhere nearby. After failing to get my tickets, as it was now a few minutes after 4:00 p.m., I went across the road to the Police Complaints Division. I discussed the incident with and officer, and they have asked me to come back. Hopefully I will find the time. The only thing was I was asked if I knew the name or ID of the officer and if I had any witnesses I could call upon. Unfortunately I had not gotten those details. The Sergeant I spoke to expressed her disappointment at the policeman’s actions.
There are a few things I forgot to do, but if there is any incident like this again or you find yourself in a similar situation:
1. Get the ID, and name if possible, of the policeman
2. Get the names and telephone number of witnesses
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