The Tribune

DURING the first 10 months of this year, 120 reports of alleged police brutality were lodged at the Complaints and Corruption Unit of the Royal Bahamas Police Force. One hundred and thirty-seven officers were under active investigation at the end of October due to these complaints, according to Deputy Commissioner Quinn McCartney. In 2010, the unit investigated 201 incidents of alleged assault by police officers, however, none of these investigations resulted in dismissal, said Mr McCartney. However, he added, a number of these cases are currently before the force's disciplinary tribunal. The Tribune has documented several cases of alleged police brutality. In early October, a 31-year-old mother claimed that her husband and son were brutalised by police officers outside their home. "I saw the man punch my husband. I didn't know who he was. He was not in a uniform. He punched him again and started to drag him out of the car by his feet. At that point, I ran outside to see what was going on," said Sherice Darling. "That's when I saw about seven other men on top of him beating him and choking him. I ran to him and told them to 'let him go'. They never identified themselves. They never said why they were there. They dragged my husband, threw him in the back of the bus and pulled off," Ms Darling alleged. She said she made an official complaint of the incident with police. In January 2010, a man alleged that he was beaten, suffocated and choked by officers at the Central Detective Unit. Presley Vildor, 26, said he was picked up by CDU officers from his home in Pinewood Gardens for questioning in relation to a murder investigation. Mr Vildor claimed he was beaten intermittently for five days until his release without being charged with an offence. He claimed he returned to the station that same day with his father to collect personal items when he was arrested and assaulted. "They intimidate me, threaten me and say they ga buss my lying ass," Mr Vildor said, claiming he was assaulted by about eight to 10 officers, including an inspector and a sergeant. Mr Vildor said he was taken to a large room, marked Investigation Office, and handcuffed to a chair for hours. He also claimed that while one officer gripped his legs, one would hold his shoulders while another officer placed a thick plastic bag over his head to suffocate him. He said he was struck in the head with a police radio, hit with brass knuckles, kicked, had a chair pressed on his ribs and choked several times until he passed out. "One would punch, one would kick and they beat you in the joints and stuff. And they tell me things like 'Yeah don't worry if we don't kill you, we ga make the streets kill you or we ga do things to you to cause your body break down when you get older'," he claimed. He also made a complaint of the incident with police.