Sandy Point man alleges police harassment
Commissioner ordered investigation…matter resolved

By Stanford Conway
Editor-in-Chief-SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A male resident of Sandy Point has accused a certain police officer stationed in that Town of harassment and violation of his rights as a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis.

According to the 22-year-old man, on the night of Monday, October 20, 2008 while playing a game of draughts with a friend in Soho Village, a police officer threw a firearm on his hand and threatened to shoot him.

“At approximately 11:49 p.m. on Monday, October 20, I was playing draughts with a friend in Soho while another friend was looking on at the game. Suddenly, a minivan drove up with three police officers in it and approached a group of young men who had gathered about 20 feet from where we were playing.

“Some of them ran away and one remained. One of the officers got out of the minivan, drew his firearm and started running behind the young men through the alley. 

He stopped running, took aim at one of them and said, ‘If you don’t stop I am going to shoot.’ However, the senior officer shouted out his name and he did not carry out the act, and I turned and looked in his direction while he was returning to the area where the vehicle was parked.

“The officer saw me looking at him and he said twice, ‘Wha yuh watching me foh?’ He then continued, “Yuh want bang me off?’ I did not reply and I continued playing the game with my back turned to him. He then walked up to me and said, ‘Wha yuh want, meh gun?’ Again, I remained silent.”

The young man said while his right hand was rested on the table, the officer got closer to him and threw his firearm “on the palm of my hand”, which subsequently fell on the table.  ~~Adz:Right~~

“He then said to me, ‘If you touch it I’ll shoot you.’ I did not move…I was paralysed with fear as the gun was next to my hand. I kept watching the gun and suddenly he picked it up and started walking towards the vehicle. I then told him that I have not done anything wrong and ‘you have violated my rights’.”

The Sandy Point youth claims to have an unblemished record and intends to keep it that way, while noting that he lives within the ambit of the law. He however pointed out that “people should not be judged by the environment within which they live, but the manner in which they conduct themselves”.

The young man said he reported the incident to the Commissioner of Police, who directed him to lodge a complaint at the Sandy Point Police Station, which he afterwards did. The Commissioner also ordered an investigation into the matter.

This was confirmed by SKNVibes after speaking with the Commissioner, and the Officer-in-Charge of the Sandy Point Police Station, Sergeant (SGT) Benjamin, today (Oct. 28), told this media house that the matter has been resolved.

SGT Benjamin said he investigated the matter and spoke at length with the complainant and the accused. He also informed that the officers were on an ongoing operation on the night of the incident, which arose from a misunderstanding.

He noted that the officer admitted to what took place and the complainant suggested an apology, which the officer rightly did, and “the matter is now resolved”.