A man last evening sustained injuries to his face after he was allegedly beaten by police officers, following a fall out over loud music that he was playing.
Kwame Caldeira, 32, said that he was hit repeatedly to his face by the police and suffered a badly swollen lip as a result.
Speaking to this newspaper last evening, Caldeira, a close relative to African Cultural Development Association (ACDA) executive Violet Jean-Baptiste, said he was hanging with friends at the corners of Sixth and Albert streets, with music playing from his vehicle, when he saw a police vehicle approaching. He said that he immediately turned the music down even before it reached his car.
However, he added that the police later emerged from their car—there were four police officers in the vehicle—and an argument later ensued. He said that at one point some of the officers insisted that he go to the station and he questioned why. “One of dem say leh we go to the sation,” and “I say ‘I ain’ going nowhere,” he recounted. He said that an officer held on to him and he chucked him, after which an officer removed his gun and struck him to his lip.
Caldeira said that back up was summoned and he was escorted to the Alberttown Police Station. At the police station, Caldeira alleged that he was punched by two plain clothes officers. One of Caldeira’s friends said that he and his friends followed the police to the station but were not allowed in. He said that he saw when his friend was hit by the police officers in the station. Caldeira had both is hands and feet handcuffed while he was in the station.
Caldeira said he was released without any charge and without bail. “They let me out of the station with no bail or charges. The instruction was to “go to the hospital, have a medical done and come back on Monday.” Caldeira believed that the conduct by the police was unprofessional and uncalled for, saying that the police had no case to ask him to go to the station or to use force.
