A pregnant woman and her children’s father were allegedly assaulted by police at the East Ruimveldt Police outpost last night after going to enquire about a relative who had been arrested earlier.
The families of 35-year-old Jewel Bearam and Jermaine Wilson gathered last night in front of the police outpost after the duo were allegedly assaulted.
The two officers that were allegedly involved in the incident were not present at the outpost when Stabroek News arrived and the ranks present were not open to giving a comment on the situation.
According to one of Bearam’s sisters, Malika, the woman and Wilson visited the police outpost around 8 pm to inquire about her brother who had been arrested earlier on a threatening language charge.
The woman explained that when Wilson and Bearam arrived at the station, they inquired about the charge and were told by officers that while the man was arrested for threatening language, there was no witness nor was he found with any weapons.
As a result, Bearam and Wilson questioned why the man was still being held on the bench, and subsequently after, Wilson left and went outside of the station where he started voicing his displeasure at the situation.
Shortly after, Malika said, an officer approached Wilson and told him that he could not be outside of the station and “started chucking he up.”
“He call another officer to lock him up so Jermaine started asking what you locking me up for I ain’t do nothing,” Malika said.
She said that shortly after the police approached Wilson, a scuffle ensued between the two of them, which resulted in the man being dragged into the police outpost. While he was in the outpost, the scuffle intensified as one of the officers allegedly started punching the man and then hitting him with one of their batons.
While all of this was happening, Bearam was standing, looking on when she noticed that one of the officers was videoing the scene with his phone. As a result, the woman decided to take her phone out and video the situation.
“One of the police told her she can’t tape and [Bearam] seh ‘if you taping why I can’t tape’ and he [the officer] cuff she to she face like she is a man and then to she tummy,” the woman recalled.
She said that the officer that allegedly assaulted Bearam requested another officer to arrest her, but was told that he could not.
“Now we go to find out and ask what they arresting her for now and the officer said disorderly manner and we ask why and he said because she take out she phone and was videoing,” Malika recalled.
After the commotion ended, the duo were taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre to get treatment for their injuries.
According to the families, they are unsure of the extent of the injuries, but were told by Wilson that his arms feel broken. Bearam also noted that she is unsure whether her jaw, where she was punched, is broken as well but she is currently in a lot of pain.
The families are enraged and said they are asking for justice from the relevant authorities since the attack on their two relatives was uncalled for.
