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Youth Pistol Whipped

Pistol WhippedAntigua St. John's - The questions of unnecessary force, youth discrimination and police brutality have once again raised their collective heads in Antigua & Barbuda’s small society.

Caribarena has learnt that police officials allegedly assaulted a Bolans youth. The incident occurred on Friday 13.

The youth, said to be in his early twenties, was reportedly walking along Tindale road with his peers when a police patrol (in an unmarked vehicle) circled the area and decided to check them out.

It was reported that the youth in question ran when he observed the suspicious approach of a vehicle.

He was hotly pursued and eventually held, handcuffed and gun-butted. It is alleged that one of the officers involved held his service pistol and struck the youth violently on his forehead resulting in a bloody laceration.



And instead of taking him to the Mount St. John’s Medical Center (MSJMC) for emergency care, the lawmen reportedly ignored protocol and instead held the youth for some five hours in his bloody state without care.

Five police officers were said to have been involved in the incident.

Caribarena.com understands that the incident has been reported to the Police high command, which has since ordered an investigation.

When contacted Police spokesman William Holder said he could not speak on this matter since it involves a police officer, and the Police Commissioner has not yet given authorization for further disclosure.

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24 Comments In This Article   

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RE: Youth Pistol Whipped

#24 Pumpkin Fritters » 2012-07-26 15:07

dem pistol whip de rang smaddy. Dem need fu start with politicians and those who hold public office but don't give a sh!t bout Antigua.
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Pumpkin Fritters

@ country girl

#23 college student » 2012-07-26 07:59

i cant believe that u just type that???? you live in antigua in these times where ppl are raping robbering and killing and u are walking home early at 1 am and u saw an unmark car and u saying that u not going to run??????????? smfh.. u and that statement u just post neeed oto take a hike, anyone with sense would havedone the same thing run..........
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college student

POLICE NEED TO COME BETTER

#22 FINGAZ » 2012-07-25 11:14

i agree that the kid had a right to run. Why am i gonna stop if a cop does not identify himself, especially in an unmarked vehicle. the same thing happened to me leaving Power rumble. A police in a regular goverment vehicle cut me off and because i cursed, he ran me down and when i stopped, he came out and pulled his gun and said get out the f....ing vehicle. i was not scared or anything but i'm just saying this to show how these idiots in the force behave.
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FINGAZ

RE: Youth Pistol Whipped

#21 Get Real » 2012-07-24 04:00

The car was unmarked. They could have been thieves from the FSRC!
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Get Real

...a war zone????

#20 Jumbee Picknee » 2012-07-24 01:51

Crime and violence MUST be curtailed in our Nation, but not in a manner which creates a war zone, yes it looks and feel like that at times but believe me, this is nothing compared to the Middle East, Pakistan, India, some North American and European cities etc. The Civilian and Law enforcement population both have some soul searching to do in regards to communicating with each other .Creating something which is ubiquitous, contentious and vicious WILL ONLY CREATE A WAR ZONE....Jah Guide in, thru and with positive blessings
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Jumbee Picknee

HOPELESSLY LOST

#19 RAWLSTON POMPEY » 2012-07-23 21:00

Country Girl; ...Clean up Time; ...PLM and ...Dave, you seemed hopelessly lost.

If you need to know why, "...Re-read your post" and then read "...Proverbs 26: 4." You may just learn something that may lead to more positive thinking.
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RAWLSTON POMPEY

The youth is right

#18 It Is Me » 2012-07-23 18:33

Right now in Antigua you have to run from everyone ... times so hard police a rob people and all ... but when them politicians come around next year canvasing votes it's them the people should run from the most!!!
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It Is Me

should have turned on the flashing lights - Par 2 & final

#17 fnpsr » 2012-07-23 16:59

After the police gave chase and caught the youth, he was held and handcuffed. The police should have properly identified themselves, pat the youth down, determine why the youth ran, accept the explanation, if plausible and release him. Based on the article there is no evidence that the kid resisted the arrest, unlawful as it may be. Therefore, he should not have been “gun-**ed.” There is also no evidence that the youth was eventually charged with crime.

Furthermore, having injured the youth, they failed to render him adequate medical care for five hours. The youth was in their possession and, as such, they were responsible, for his care. What were they waiting for?

I will wait for the police version.

“Let’s fix the little things with RWE before we attempt to fix the big things."
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fnpsr

should have turned on the flashing lights - Par 1

#16 fnpsr » 2012-07-23 16:58

With all of the crime in Antigua, the youth had a right to run if he felt imminent danger. He did not know who were in the car. The police, on the other hand, in the “unmarked police car” had a right to investigate the kids if they thought the kids were acting suspicious. Based on the article, it does not appear that they were acting suspicious. They were walking along the road.

It is the way in which the police operated that will cause them the most grief. As soon as the police decided to “check out” the kids, they should have turned on their “flashing lights”. This would have sent an immediate, clear and unambiguous signal to the youths that “this is the police. If they were not doing anything wrong, the kids would have stopped, at least out of curiosity. Even if the kids were criminals and were on the prowl, they had not committed a crime and probably would have stopped also.
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fnpsr

The wicked fleeth when no man pursueth

#15 Country Girl » 2012-07-23 16:05

Why did he run? if i am walking, and a police vehicle marked or unmarked pulled up next to me why on earth would i run! i would only run if i was guilty of something perhaps. maybe the police may have saved one of us from robbery or even worse death!
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Country Girl

A better approach is needed by our police!

#14 Dig It » 2012-07-23 15:40

Until some of us have a son or daughter that is subjected to police brutality, we will continue to sit back and let the police shoot or beat our youths for no "valid" reason! This incident could have been "avoided" if the police had "identified" themselves early, while approaching the youths in such "suspicious" vehicle. With all the gun-violence and drive-by plaguing the country, the youth in question just could have ran on the mere fact that "danger" was approaching his way. Yet, the fact that he ran doesn't "justified" the police officer to "pistol-whipped " him, and, leave him with no medical attention for a long period of time. The Police Spokesman need to "speak" on this "vexing" incident, and, stop covering the actions of a few "rotten" apple officers in our police force!
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Dig It

suspicious????

#13 yaya » 2012-07-23 14:34

How can you tell if someone in an unmarked vehicle is a police offer or a **? Did the plain clothes police officer identify himself to the youth before he attacked him? I worked with the police dept. and I knew all the officers from the city where I lived, but if someone were to approach me in a regular vehicle, I would have done the same thing the person did.... Get the hell out of dodge. The police had no right to attack the peron unless he was committing a crime and resisting arrest.
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yaya

RE: Youth Pistol Whipped

#12 Ah Me Man » 2012-07-23 13:11

This young man did bring greater suspicion upon himself by running but once arrested there was no need for the police to inflict such harm on him. It seems as if the officers involved let their emotions get the best of them.
And what is up with driving him around for 5 hours without medical attention??? SMH Seems like the cops knew they acted with excessive force and didn't want it to come to light.
Personally, I would've been upset with the youth for making me run him down but this is why I am not a cop!
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Ah Me Man

RE: Youth Pistol Whipped

#11 Hmm » 2012-07-23 11:57

Totally against violence whether from police or anyone else, but until I hear the Police's side I must reserve judgement and give them the benefit of doubt. It was just during sailing week that a couple was bound and gagged in their homes by masked men and the police were able to avert a crime against tourists. Last week we also heard of a couple in Villa being held at gun point and robbed. If you look suspicious until stopped and searched the police cannot know whether you are armed or not and if criminal or not. People realize this #1. Police doing late night patrol are usually in unmarked vehicles. # 2 If someone is stopped under suspicion and offers resistance then the police must use reasonable force to subdue the individual. #3 Bloody laceration.. was this an open wound which required stitches or was it a scratch which bled?? both are bloody laceration
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Hmm

Improving Our Police

#10 Police Chief David C » 2012-07-23 11:40

All police can be improved. The problem is that we make no effort to help or encourage them to do so. My book gives both information, insight and direction. Take a look at “Arrested Development: A Veteran Police Chief Sounds Off About Protest, Racism, Corruption and the Seven Steps Necessary to Improve Our Nation’s Police.” And visit my blog at http://improvingpolice.wordpress.com/ where I discuss these and other current police improvement issues. Good luck and may we all experience great policing!
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Police Chief David C

wat a place.

#9 lethal. » 2012-07-23 11:35

living in hell is betta than living in antigua. matta a fact antigua is hell, on earth. :oops:
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lethal.

Where is the Minister of National Security???

#8 Daughter of Klaas » 2012-07-23 10:57

While we have not yet learned the "full story", we the legitimate descendants of Klaas must open our eyes and take serious note. Nothing short of a full investigation is warranted! Antigua's "finest" are now considered by many at their very lowest. It's not microwaves and fridges that the Police need at this time, Mr. Minister; rather, as a priority, these people need effective training in ethics, morals, honesty, decency, professional conduct and most of all a knowledge and awareness of their personal and collective history!
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Daughter of Klaas

@ clean up time & dave

#7 DadliMan » 2012-07-23 09:48

Quote:
The youth, said to be in his early twenties, was reportedly walking along Tindale road with his peers when a police patrol (in an unmarked vehicle) circled the area and decided to check them out.
Clearly neither of you understand the rights afforded us in the Constitution of A&B. The article clearly states that the officers were travelling "in an unmarked vehicle". If the youths ran because they felt threatened, where is the justification for pistol-whipping the young man? Did the officers identify themselves as police officers, or did they just jump out of the vehicle and handle the matter in the style of the old west?

The police force is crying out for a serious investigation. Never in our history has our police force seemed so out of control. Police holding up service stations; police killing civilians; police caught with drugs; police committing statutory rape; police being sought for killing under-aged girl; and the list goes on and on. All of this is happening under the watch of a Police Commissioner who appears more interested in doing the bidding of the political directorate rather than serious police work.
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DadliMan

RE: Youth Pistol Whipped

#6 wisdom » 2012-07-23 09:27

It is not HOW we do things, Is How we do it. Please dont forget we have lots of police thugs in the force. Most of them are only in the force to acquire a pay cheque. They dont really take special interest in what they are doing.
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wisdom

Clean up time RESPONSE

#5 Dr. Dredd » 2012-07-23 09:21

Did you notice the story said: "UNMARKED VEHICLE"? How would this youth know that it is Police and not criminals? These days it could really be one and the same. Suppose it was not Police and instead was robbers? This could happen to any innocent citizen.
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Dr. Dredd

Youth what?

#4 PLM » 2012-07-23 09:18

Dat is a hardback man. It’s about time the RABPF start cracking heads.
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PLM

RE: Youth Pistol Whipped

#3 clean up time » 2012-07-23 08:17

Bang them raxss, mi well sure a something them in about to do...u never hear nah run from police?
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clean up time

RE: Youth Pistol Whipped

#2 dave » 2012-07-23 07:21

when police do them work ,the media cuss ,when them dont do them work tmem still get cuss,,,,i would say f%^$#&***k the brittish,,suck it up and drive on let the guys them do them work
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dave

RE: Youth Pistol Whipped

#1 Vicnes » 2012-07-23 03:15

Caribarena needs to publish the names of the Police thugs involved in this incident. Police officers should be held to a higher standard than private citizens and should never be allowed to hide behind a badge.

An armed officer who pistol whipped an unarmed person that did not commit a crime, is not a professional, he is a criminal.
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Vicnes

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