Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell said the recent case of alleged assault committed on a former Miss Guyana Universe contestant by a policeman is currently under investigation and the officer named has been removed from his post.
The Commissioner further stated that, for quite some time, he has been receiving complaints from persons about the rank’s behaviour, hence the decision to remove him from his post pending the outcome of the investigations.
He said once the investigation into the claims made by the young lady is complete, based on the findings, charges may be instituted. Ali Williams is claiming that while visiting the Providence Police Station to lodge a complaint last Saturday, she was manhandled in the presence of her children by the policeman.
In a statement , the advertising and marketing executive said while driving to work on Saturday morning, she was involved in a minor accident when another car collided with hers, causing damage to the car’s bumper.
Hence, she decided to visit the Providence Police Station on the East Bank of Demerara with the intention of filing an official report with law enforcement, which would possibly ensure that the delinquent driver pay all expenses to repair her motor vehicle.
She added that she arrived at the police station and after being made to wait some 30 minutes for a police officer to take her report, she inquired what was holding back the process. She contends that her inquiries caused a reaction from the police officer who thought that she was not in authority to question the conduct of their work.
The woman added that after some time had elapsed, the report was eventually taken but upon completion, the policeman who took the report informed her that her vehicle had to be lodged at the police station for the night and further demanded that she hand over the keys to the car. Williams said she went into the station and was followed by “Officer Tracey”, who instructed her to sit on the bench and told her when she was ready to hand over the keys, she should inform him. She again refused to do such, telling him he needed to give a reasonable explanation for keeping her vehicle overnight. She then took out her mobile phone and contacted a family member and began to relate her ordeal.
“Officer Tracey then grabbed me by my arm, pulled me up from the bench, dragging me more than 10 feet while wringing my hand to take away my personal phone, then chucking me to sit on the station bench like a common criminal in the presence of my two crying children,” she related in her statement.
Recently, media operatives from two media entities were allegedly assaulted by police ranks. One of them was Guyana Times/Television Guyana/Radio Guyana journalist Bhisham Mohammed.
Brumell noted that in the case of the media operatives, the complaints are being investigated and he will issue a statement at a later date.
