(Antigua Sun) – A number of tourists, who accused the police of beating them up, were taken to court yesterday to face several charges.
Following an altercation with law enforcement officers, Dolores Lalanne, Mike Pierre Paul, Joshua Jackson, Shoshonnah Henry, Nancy Lalanne and Rachael Henry have all been slapped with six charges.
The US citizens were expected to appear in the St John’s Magistrates’ Court yesterday to answer to charges of malicious damage, battery on a police, resisting arrest, refusing to give name and address, disorderly conduct and making use of indecent language.
Allegations are the visitors were involved in a confrontation with police officers who were investigating reports of an incident in which they were involved.
It is alleged that the six visitors attacked and beat the officers during the mêlée.
Reports are the US citizens refused to pay a taxi operator, who took them on a tour around the island.
Reports are the taxi operator then drove the two men and four women to the station where they were held for questioning.
According to reports, the tourists after arriving at the station, began to verbally abuse the officers, at times allegedly using a barrage of expletives.
Allegations are one of the women threatened the officer and punched the lawman in the face.
It is alleged that another officer tried to intervene when that officer, too, was struck to the face by a male visitor.
Further reports are a number of police officers who were on duty at the station at the time had to rush to the assistance of their counterparts.
Despite their intervention, the fracas took some time before being brought under control.
The tourists who arrived on the Carnival Victory cruise ship are reportedly sticking to their version of the incident.
According to the tourists who are all from Brooklyn, New York they negotiated a rate of US$50 for the trip to Fort James and back to Heritage Quay with the taxi driver.
Upon his return, the taxi driver reportedly demanded US$100 explaining at that point that he meant US$50 each way.
The tourists refused to pay US$100 stating that they would stick to the original fare as was agreed.
The taxi driver then proceeded to drive the passengers to the St. John’s Police Station having called ahead of his arrival.
As the vehicle drove into the station yard, it is reported that there were plain clothes police officers awaiting its arrival.
Further reports suggested that the episode started when one of the female tourists decided that she did not know where she was so she attempted to exit the vehicle in an effort to get back to the ship. One of the female plain-clothes police officers then restrained her while a male officer allegedly struck her and thus the fracas started.
An eyewitness told the SUN that the police officers closed the gates to the station while other officers started running from various offices and began throwing kicks and punches.
Two female police officers complained of injuries and were reportedly treated at the Mount St John’s Medical Centre (MSJMC) while the four female tourists who have also suffered serious injuries are still awaiting medical treatment.
When contacted by the Sun, the port agent for Carnival Cruise Lines and president of the Antigua and Barbuda Cruise Tourism Association (ABCTA) Nathan Dundas refrained from giving any further details because the matter was being heard in court yesterday.
Dundas described the incident as unfortunate and called for an investigation into the matter.
The Sun understands that the families of the tourists along with their congressional representatives in Brooklyn New York were contacted. The US Embassy in Barbados has also been involved.
