SKNVibes journalist arrested for taking crime scene pictures

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

SHACKLED: Stachio Williams, SKNVibes’ Chief Financial Officer and photo journalist at the Cayon Police Station

At approximately 7:17 yesterday morning, while standing some 35 feet away from the closest tape to the crime scene and approximately 55 feet from where the lifeless body of Randy ‘Robby’ Scott lay, Williams took pictures of the scene with his cellular phone and was arrested, handcuffed, placed in a police vehicle and taken to the Cayon Police Station.

In his explanation to what transpired, Williams said, “The police were there and they had their tape pulled across the crime scene. I was at least 35 feet away from the scene. I was standing on a wall behind a large crowd of people and I took out my mobile phone to capture the event. I had it in my hand and a certain police officer suspected that I might have been taking photos. He looked at me and said, ‘Hey, you need to stop taking photos.’ I responded by saying, ‘Well, I’m a journalist, I’m here doing my job.’ He said, ‘Listen, you need to stop taking photos, and furthermore I need to get that phone from you.’  I told him that he couldn’t have it.

“He then decided to arrest me. He handcuffed me put me in one of their vehicles. While in the vehicle, he demanded the phone and I said, ‘I did nothing wrong, why are you taking me in?’ He said, ‘Listen, you obstructed the police.’ I told him that I could not have obstructed the police from doing their job because I was nowhere close to the scene and he cannot have my phone.

“Despite my objections, he put his hand in my pocket, took the phone and drove off the bus. He then ordered me out of the bus and put me on the bench at the Cayon Police Station and held me there for questioning still handcuffed.”

Williams told SKNVibes that he was embarrassed by the manner in which he was treated by the police. “I think it’s highly ridiculous as a media worker to be treated that way. I strongly believe that the experience was totally uncalled for, and I am going to demand some sort of explanation for the entire thing because I know my rights. I did nothing wrong and I should not have been arrested.”

In an effort to have Williams released, one of his colleagues contacted the Police Press and Public Relations Officer, Inspector Crowell Henry, and also the Commissioner of Police, Austin Williams, and requested their intervention. However, it was not until the same colleague contacted WINN FM’s General Manager Clive Bacchus, who aired his concerns, did the police release Williams.

He was released without any charges after being in custody for more than an hour.

This is not the first time Williams was harassed by members of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force. He recalled an incident where he, his Editor-in-Chief and another photo journalist were in Newtown gathering information during a police search operation.

Williams said they were standing some 25 yards away from the scene at which point the other photographer was taking pictures. He said as a number of police officers approached them he was handed the camera and he took out the chip and placed it in his pocket.

“One of the officers demanded the camera and I refused. He pushed me, put his hand in my pocket and took the chip,” he said, adding, “One of my colleagues met with the police and both parties agreed to have follow-up meetings in an effort for police offers to understand the role of the media.”

“Something serious needs to be done,” Williams said, “because I think the police need to understand the work of journalists and the rights that we have. I don’t appreciate this and I would not like it to happen to any of my colleagues.

“I see it as the police and the media are friends. We should work together on these things and should not be attacking each other like this. But I think education needs to be done…it is the key to this controversy.”

Photos taken by Williams from atop a concrete fence opposite the crime scene

The DPC assured Williams that he would personally investigate the matter and inform him [in writing] of his findings. He also extended an invitation to media practitioners to address a wide cross section of members of the police force on the Role and Rights of the Media, which was accepted and would be done sometime in the new week.

Williams however stated that despite the DCP’s intended efforts, he would be seeking compensation for the damage caused to his character; which he strongly believes would act as a deterrent to police hostility towards media practitioners in St. Kitts and Nevis.

“I intend to pursue this issue to the end. I have contacted my lawyer who will advise me on what action to be taken; because not only were my rights violated as a media practitioner, but I was grossly embarrassed and ill-treated by the police…actions which were uncalled for.

“The gravity of the situation is the message that was sent by the police’s action to the general public, especially those individuals who were at the crime scene but not in proximity to comprehend what transpired. Many of them, seeing me shackled and forced into the police’s vehicle, perceived that my arrest was in connection with the homicide. This was confirmed by the numerous phone calls me and my Editor-in-Chief received from concerned individuals, both locally and overseas,” Williams said.

Williams said he viewed the police’s action as a lack of understanding of the rights of the media, noting the media is the people’s watchdog and practitioners have a duty to disseminate all newsworthy information to the general public in an accurate, balanced and timely manner.

“This is a dangerous profession and many times media practitioners put their lives on the line in the gathering of information. The police and the media are not supposed to be in conflict; these two organisations must have a harmonious relationship which will eventually benefit the law abiding citizens of our twin-island Federation. We must share information, especially at this stage where the crime situation (gun, drugs and gang-related activities) has escalated seemingly beyond the authorities’ control,” he concluded.

And President of the St. Kitts-Nevis Media Association Clive Bacchus said Friday that his organisation would be following up with the Police High Command. “We will certainly have to have a meeting with the Police High Command to discuss these issues. I think that this is a particularly disturbing issue, and I think perhaps we need to take some sort of action on this point,” Bacchus said.