Leader of the Opposition, Dr Godwin, Friday said he was reliable informed that at protest action on Tuesday, in Kingstown, a protester was maltreated by a member of the security forces.
“Between Coreas and Building and Loan, there was an incident where two Black Squad Officers were seen pushing a protester dangerously close to the drain and threatening that protester with injury. That protester, that national of St Vincent, was out there excising their democratic right.”
“And another officer came and told them, no no, that is not what you do, because he recognized the danger and the unnecessary use of force being exhibited there.”
And you would think that it was the end of it, Friday said.
“I am informed Madam Speaker that the officer then went back or attempted to go back to Police Headquarters where he was confronted by the Commissioner of Police who asked him, or said he heard he was suggesting. I don’t know the exact words from what I am told, that the police officers were abusing protesters. And that if he thinks because his mother calls into Nice radio regularly and that he comes from Bequia, he could do essentially what he did”.
“That officer was transferred immediately from SSU to Beat and Patrol.”
Friday said his understanding is that as a senior officer present, he intervened to provide guidance to junior officers from injuring someone unnecessarily.
“And that Prime Minister needs to be looked into, because I can’t understand how on the one hand you can encourage professionalism of the Police and here you have a senior officer who is excising his judgment in a situation, and then his actions get colored by the fact that his mother calls in on Nice Radio.”
“Don’t say oh God, as Friday responds to a member of the government benches, investigate it, it’s the truth, if am wrong go and investigate and come back and tell me,” Friday said.
Friday continued by saying; “that is not a promotion from SSU to Beat and Patrol; it says to me you are now marked”.
