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Police raid video 1
By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
A WOMAN is threatening to sue the Royal Bahamas Police Force claiming she was “attacked” by three plain clothes police officers in her home on Saturday morning when she was completely naked.
Lauralee Strachan told The Tribune she was left embarrassed and bruised after the officers barged into her home off Johnson Road, allegedly without a warrant, to search for someone who does not live with her.
Ms Strachan’s 19-year-old daughter, Jaqua, said she was sitting in the living room with her cousin, her sister and her cousin’s baby, when the officers allegedly broke down the door around 11am on Saturday.
“We heard a (knock) on the door, my sister asked, ‘Who is it?’ and no one answered,” Jaqua said. “There was a (knock) again, she asked again and no one answered so the door was then (ripped) open. Three males came walking in the house and I asked who they were because they did not identify themselves and they did not have on a uniform.”
Jaqua said the women in the living room repeatedly asked the men who they were, but received no answers.
“My mummy was in the bathroom taking a bath and she peeped out to see what was going on and she asked me who they were and I told her I didn’t know,” she added. “So she went to go put on some clothes and at the same time one of the guys pushed me and I pushed him back because I didn’t know who he was.”
“They went in the room and I stood by the bathroom door and he tried to pull it open and my mommy was in there. I figured out that they must have been police at this time, so I asked if they had a warrant and still no one answered me.
“I refused to move from the door because my mommy was in the bathroom and he threw me down and the other officer tried to hold me down. He was choking me and trying to cuff me and I couldn’t breathe. So I screamed to my mother that I couldn’t breathe and when she came to the door, she still had a towel on and they pushed her and kicked her to the floor and the towel came off and she was naked.”
Jaqua said she was eventually handcuffed, but ran to a neighbour’s apartment a few feet away to beg them to call the police. She said she stayed there until she saw a police car she recognised.
Meanwhile, her mother Lauralee said she put a towel around her body and ran outside screaming for someone to call 911.
She said: “I didn’t know if they were police officers or what, so one of the neighbours brought me some clothes and the same time she brought the clothes I saw a squad car and I ran to the police and I said ‘Some guys in my house, they didn’t show us a badge or nothing, they claim they are police officers, but they didn’t show us anything’. I went back upstairs and the officer said I wasn’t a decent woman because I ran outside in a towel and honestly I cursed him after that.”
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Police raid 2
Mrs Strachan said she and her daughter were eventually arrested and spent 48 hours in the Elizabeth Estates Police Station before being released on Sunday evening. She said they were not allowed to give a statement. She told The Tribune that once the pair got to the police station, officers told them they were looking for a friend of her daughter’s in relation to a stealing matter, which is why they were at her home.
A portion of the incident was caught on camera by Mrs Strachan’s youngest daughter, but she said police made her erase the video from her cell phone when they were in custody. However, before it was erased Mrs Strachan said her daughter had already sent it to her oldest daughter.
When The Tribune saw the video yesterday it was clear that someone asked the officers for their badge numbers and they refused to answer. The video also shows a scuffle and a naked woman was seen lying on the floor and two men could be seen on top of what appeared to be a young woman.
Mrs Strachan and her daughter said they filed a complaint at the police force’s Complaints and Corruption Unit on Monday morning, but were told it could take up to six months before anything is done. They are currently searching for a lawyer because they say they intend to sue.
When contacted by The Tribune, an officer from the Complaints and Corruption Unit, who did not wish to be identified, confirmed that Mrs Strachan and her daughter did file a complaint on Monday and that the matter is being “actively investigated”.
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Comments
Guy 10 years, 5 months ago
This is clearly unlawful behavior on the part of the police. Why do the continue to so often to act so unprofessional and high-handed? Sue their socks off! Call Wayne Munroe! He loves to sue!
Guy 10 years, 5 months ago
And on what authority did the police demand the deletion of the video anyway?
B_I_D___ 10 years, 5 months ago
Because dey is da police and you do what they say or they beat you silly!!
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 5 months ago
Six months? This was an absolutely terrifying experience, there is no doubt as to who did what it's on video, the Commissioner needs to do something about this today...this is not good.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 5 months ago
OMG the little child was terrified....
EasternGate 10 years, 5 months ago
Mr. Sanctimonious, Greenslade needs to deal with this matter ASAP. 6 months my ass!
GrassRoot 10 years, 5 months ago
6 months, you kiddin, right? you mean 6 years?
arussell 10 years, 5 months ago
This is a perfect example of why our society is the way it is. Police should always show badges and warrants but ay No way!! cause why?? they the police. Why was no female officer with them by law male officers should not handle or arrest females!! I hope The commissioner look into to this matter ASAP
TheMadHatter 10 years, 5 months ago
They are only Bahamians. They don't count for nothin in this country.
TheMadHatter*
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 5 months ago
The police need to have a hard lesson drilled into them. I once came across a bible verse that I did not completely understand at the time. God says ~"don't give me any reason to side with the ungodly". I remember thinking why would God side with the ungodly over his own child? And here it is right in front of my eyes....
I have no doubt the police have to go after some very bad people at times, but this doesn't appear to be the case here. This woman was in a towel trying to help her daughter who was being manhandled and she was pushed and KICKED by a male officer???
They claim to have been looking for someone wanted for possession of stolen goods. This house could have been loaden down with 40" tvs (which it wasn't), NOBODY in the country will be on your side after seeing this. Your own mother will ask you "what were you thinking?"
Commissioner, Minister of National Security, DO SOMETHING, we need to be able to trust the police.
PastorTroy 10 years, 5 months ago
When the law treats law abiding citizens like criminals and criminals are treated like law abiding citizens. When you obey the law and the law brutalize and humiliate you. But this is somewhat expected now, 'porridge' runs down hill. There's pressure from the top because of recent statistics and outcry from the public on crime, these men are just foot soldiers, however very untrained and disrespectful it seems. The goal of our LEO's should be to get the general public on their side to help them with the war on crime, community service based policing works! One have to ask would they prefer to: Win the war and loose the battle or win the battle and loose the war, or loose BOTH the war and the battle? With this type of behavior, the latter can be predicted to be a certain outcome.
Nlo 10 years, 5 months ago
*Absolute foolishness on the police part!!! People wonder why the Bahamas' crime rate is so high. It's because even the police are thugs and criminals. No type of structure, respect for citizens nor law. How can they expect us to abide by the rules if they are so blatantly lawless and disgusting. No warrant, no badges, no respect, and excessive force. SMFT *
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