The father of Jaheim Peters, the teen who was allegedly tortured while in custody at the Vigilance Police station, says more witnesses are coming forward to support his son’s account of the incident, placing two ranks of the station as the ones responsible for the act.
“It got more details that they light he pun he pants and then them out the fire and then them light he again. The whole truth coming out. Other people that went in there wah get bail call pun phone and tell me……I get more information,” Esse Peters told Stabroek News during a telephone interview yesterday.
He said while the witnesses are fearful of police harassment, they have contacted him with information about the incident involving his son and asked that their identities be withheld.
Peters said among the persons who reached out to him is an individual who was in custody at the police station at the time of the incident and was released on bail.
“There is more into it because now if yuh claim seh some boy pun the bench had the lighter, all this proceeding happening and you give the boy bail why you looking fah the boy back fah today?” Peters questioned.
As new information surfaced, Esse said if the police version of the incident is true, he is still seeking answers as to how a detainee is allowed to have a lighter in his possession. “Now if this boy get a lighter, yuh gone search he…When I carry food or clothes they search it piece piece at the counter. Open the food in front ah me and everything. How deh get lighter fah go in at the cell saying he bun he self out?…They beat he fah seh duh,” he charged.
Esse told Stabroek News that he also learnt that an ID parade was reportedly held in relation to robbery which his son was arrested for and his son was not identified as a perpetrator of the crime. ”The people went there and identify them boy and seh is not them boy commit the robbery,” he said.
He said he believes his son is being targeted by the police because he was previously fingered in a matter but it was dismissed. “So dah is why they (police) after these boy them…They had a case before with some robbery and it did throw out. So them nah like duh,” Esse said.
The Guyana Police Force on Sunday said that the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) is investigating the alleged police brutality during which Jaheim sustained burns while in custody at the Vigilance lockups.
Two ranks from the station have been placed on close arrest.
Different accounts
Seventeen-year-old Jaheim, a fisherman of Annandale, East Coast Demerara was apprehended by police last Thursday in relation to an armed robbery probe.
After reports of the incident surfaced on Sunday, Jaheim and his family and the police presented two different accounts of what transpired.
The police version is that around 10.10 am Sunday, 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, Jaheim was the only occupant of the cell.
The police on duty summoned the Emergency Medical Technicians and Jaheim was treated. While being questioned, police said Jaheim 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 Jaheim 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 Jaheim’s 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 ain’t 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.
The elder Peters had 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.”
“Cooking up”
Esse said he met with Police Commander of Region 4C, Kurleigh Simon yesterday who assured him that the matter is being investigated. “The commander give me all assurance,” he said.
However, Esse said he is not comfortable with the fact that the matter is being investigated by the OPR. “Them seh police from town ah investigate the story. How yuh go put police fah investigate police? I ain’t comfortable with that cooking up because the police them done saying wah the boy (Jaheim) seh pun the video is nah truth,” he told Stabroek News.
Contacted for an update on the matter yesterday, Simon would only say that Commissioner of Police (ag), Clifton Hicken has since directed the OPR to investigate the matter.
The incident has seen Hicken issuing a stern warning to members of the GPF.
In a statement issued on Sunday night, Hicken said no members of the force will be “shielded” if they are found in breach of any of the police regulations.
“Acting Commissioner of Police Mr Clifton Hicken has issued a stern warning against any member of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) who independently deviate from the Force’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and act outside of the law,” the statement said.
Any rank who acts outside of the law will be dealt with and will face the full force of the law, Hicken said.
“If any rank is found to have breached the SOPs then regulations will be enforced and/or if any rank acts independently outside of the law, then that rank will be dealt with condignly and face the full brunt of the law,” Hicken said.
He further stated that “unprofessionalism will not be condoned and no one will be allowed to tarnish the good image of the force.”
