The family of an East Coast Demerara teenager is alleging police brutality after he sustained burns while in custody at the Vigilance lockups and two ranks from the station have been placed on close arrest.
An investigation is currently underway by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), the police said yesterday.
Yesterday, the burnt teenager and his family and the police presented two different accounts of what transpired.
The burnt teen, Jaheim Peters, a 17-year-old fisherman of Annandale, East Coast Demerara was apprehended by police on Thursday in relation to an armed robbery probe.
The police version is that around 10.10 am yesterday, ranks on duty heard screams from the lockups. This led to a rank checking and upon doing so he observed the jersey that Peters was wearing was in flames. At the time, Peters was the only occupant of the cell.
The police on duty summoned the Emergency Medical Technicians and Peters was treated. While being questioned, police said Peters told ranks that he was given a lighter by another person who was also in custody but was sitting on the bench.
The police alleged that Peters said he was playing with the lighter, igniting it on and off when his jersey caught on fire. As a result, he sustained burns to the ribs on the left side of his chest and hand.
He was escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital and was admitted to the Burn Care Unit.
However, in a video released by Peters’ family, while at the hospital, he accused the ranks who questioned him of setting him on fire.
In the forty-six seconds video released, the teen while still in handcuffs and shackles said the police wanted to talk to him about a firearm.
“He wanted to knock me to talk about some gun and I tell he me aint know bout no gun and me and he start scuffle and after then he took the lighter and light me… I had to take off my jersey and dash it in the water… and when the ambulance come they say I burn me self… they beat me to say that (I burn me self), when the ambulance come,” the teen said.
According to his father, Esse Peters, in a video also released by the family, the younger Peters was traveling to the city on Thursday when he was picked up with two others by the police.
The father said his son was on his way to purchase clothing to attend his uncle’s funeral.
“The police vehicle turn back, pick up two … boys and collect he (Peters) and say they went pon some robbery. They carry he to Vigilance Police Station and say they want this boy a long time…” the father said.
According to the father, his son was moved back and forth between the Vigilance and Cove and John Police Stations. When he enquired why they were keeping his son in custody, he stated that the station sergeant, Tyndall informed him that he was waiting on the officer in charge of crime for the division to investigate the matter.
“This guy is a juvenile why you should get him at Vigilance lockup? They intend to beat him. They ask for his birth certificate and the CID took a picture…” the father said.
The elder Peters said that his son told him “He deh in the lock up and he said (a police corporal) go in the lockup and start beat he and after the two get scuffle, (the police corporal) light he clothes, hold on pon he, screw he clothes, light he clothes on fire. And then when the fire more than he, he shout out and seh tell the police this man light he self on fire and they bring he out. Then they beat he, video he, cuff he in he face and jaw and tell he fuh say on camera he light he self on fire.”
The father in tears, called on the hierarchy of the force to conduct a thorough investigation and have the rank who assaulted his son pay for his actions.
