The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

POLICE Commissioner Anthony Ferguson has brought disciplinary charges against a senior officer accused of punching two women in an Exuma incident that recently went viral.

In an internal memo, Acting Police Commissioner Paul Rolle said the inspector in question was “interdicted from the Royal Bahamas Police Force in accordance with 63 (1) & (2) of the Police Force Act, 2009” on August 27.

Interdicted officers receive one-half of their salaries along with the full amount of other allowances and and emoluments to which they are entitled. The officers are entitled to receive back pay if they are not convicted.

According to police disciplinary regulations, the Commissioner of Police must appoint one or more gazetted officers to form a Court of Enquiry when an inspector, subordinate police officer or constable is charged with a major offence. Defendants are given the opportunity to question witnesses, give evidence on their own behalf and call witnesses for their defence. The proceedings are not open to the press or the general public.

Two women, Dejah Laing, 19, and Aaliyah Bain, 20, had accused the officer of punching them in the face on August 4 while they were travelling home from the Rolleville Homecoming Festival & Regatta.

Images of blood streaming from Ms Laing’s gashed eyelid were shared hundreds of times on social media, horrifying users. The women were in a car that was stopped because of a broken headlight.

Ms Laing did not readily comply with the officer’s demand that she exit the vehicle, she admitted to the The Tribune in an interview earlier this month. She cited his aggression and discourteous demeanour as justification. With a height of 5”2, she said the 6’2” officer punched her five times in the face, the first knocking her to the ground. She struggled to come to terms with the fact that the male police officer would punch her so hard and so repeatedly.

Her friend, Ms Bain, said she attracted the officer’s rage after willingly accompanying her Ms Laing to the police station.

She said: “I went with her in the police car because I didn’t want her there with three male officers and while I was in the car I was speaking freely, saying ‘y’all wrong, ya’ll wrong, how y’all could do this to a female who way smaller than y’all.’ That’s when the guy who was driving literally turn back and punch me in my mouth three times, directly in my face. My face was bruised, my lip has a cut under it and my teeth is cracked in the back.”

The women faced no charges.