The Tribune

POLICE Commissioner Shanta Knowles has refused to answer questions about officers who were promoted despite losing lawsuits that cost taxpayers money.

She told a reporter to bring her the evidence and said she would not speak about the promotions again.

“We find no fault in the work that we have produced. I am satisfied with the promotion,” Ms Knowles said.

Asked what the promotions said about accountability, she said she could not speak to that. “If you have that evidence, please bring it to me, and we can address that,” she said. She said promotions were based on officers’ performance and whether they were qualified, “and we’ve done just that”.

The Tribune reported this month that Assistant Superintendent Jerone Thompson was promoted from inspector despite a court ruling over his conduct that led to a $103,000 damages award against the government. The Court of Appeal criticised him for kneeling on a man’s neck.

He was among about 1,300 officers promoted in the exercise, which Ms Knowles said included 800 regular officers and 500 reserve officers. The list of promoted officers has not been made public.

ASP Thompson and Corporal Jamecko Thompson were sued, along with the Attorney General, by Lynden Saunders after an altercation in September 2018. Mr Saunders had ridden his motorcycle on the sidewalk on Prince Charles Drive to get around a traffic accident the officers were investigating.

He said in evidence that ASP Thompson, then a sergeant, kicked his motorcycle to the ground, punched him, body-slammed him and knelt on his neck, making it hard for him to breathe. Mr Saunders was charged with assaulting the officers and resisting arrest, but was acquitted. He then sued.

The trial judge found the officers were the aggressors and used more force than was reasonably necessary, and that the arrest was unlawful. The Court of Appeal upheld the award.

“It was of particular concern that the officers admitted to placing a knee on the neck of the respondent,” the appeal judgment said. “It is an even greater concern to learn from those officers that this is what they were trained to do.”

National Security Minister Myles Laroda has defended the promotions. He said Ms Knowles assured him that the force’s complaints and corruption units checked and cleared every promoted officer. Asked what message such promotions send when taxpayers have paid damages for officers’ conduct, he repeated that all the officers had been cleared.

Questions have also been raised about the promotions board after Eyewitness News reported that one of its members was Superintendent Terico Sweeting, a key prosecution witness in a police bribery case. Mr Laroda said no officer facing charges sat on the board.

Opposition leader Michael Pintard has called for greater transparency in police promotions and a stronger, independent Police Service Commission. He has said cases in which officers harmed the public or cost it money should be weighed before promotions are granted.