Based on legal advice, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) yesterday announced that no criminal charges will be laid against the cops accused of torturing teenager Jaheim Peters while in custody at the Vigilance Police Station.
However, three ranks who were on duty at the time of the incident will face departmental charges pertaining to neglect.
Police Corporals 18165 Thomas and 20876 Bissessar who were in-charge of the Vigilance Police Station at the time when the incident occurred will be charged with the offences of neglect of duty and omitting to make a necessary entry, respectively.
Police Constable 25324 Nazier is to be charged with failing to perform duties with diligence.
According to information reaching Stabroek News, a number of civilian witnesses provided the police with statements which support the force’s account of what transpired.
As such, a reliable source said no charge has been recommended against the rank accused of burning Peters.
Reports reaching Stabroek News revealed that Peters was reportedly smoking in the cell during which he “accidentally” burnt himself. He was reportedly given a lighter by a detainee who was on the bench.
The man who has been identified as Keron Williams will also be charged with introducing prohibited articles into the prison under the Prison Act Chapter 11.01
The GPF on Sunday said that the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) was investigating the alleged police brutality during which Peters sustained burns while in custody at the Vigilance lockups. Two ranks from the station were placed on close arrest.
Seventeen-year-old Peters, 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, Peters and his family and the police presented two different accounts of what transpired.
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, 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.
Peters’ father Esse Peters had said that his son told him “He deh in the lockup 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.”
No lighter
The police version is that around 10.10 am on 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, 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.
Stabroek News yesterday spoke to Keron Williams’s brother, Trevon Williams who was in custody at the time of the incident.
He said neither he nor his brother had a lighter in their possession and neither did they provide Peters with one. “No lighter. Just we money alone and key and so….Me and me brother didn’t give no lighter…None of that,” Trevon told Stabroek News.
Trevon said he and his brother were taken into custody on Sunday morning for allegedly threatening his ex-girlfriend.
He detailed his experience while at the police station during which he said he met and spoke to Peters, who he knows since they live in the same village.
Trevon explained that he and Keron were asleep on Sunday when the police arrived at their home and arrested them. “When we reach deh (police station) now, them tell we come around and go sit down pun the bench,” he said.
Unaware of why he was arrested, Trevon said he enquired from a police officer. “Till I go to the station I ask he wah we deh hay suh fah and he seh threatening language,” he added.
According to Trevon, he later contacted his family and asked that they come to the police station.
“…We deh on the bench still sit down waiting fah them come….The officer at the desk was a Corporal and a next officer, them call we one by one and search we. Them call me brother fuss, tek out he gold, money and wah he get on he and put it on the table. Same thing for me tuh. Tek out everything out of me pocket and put it deh,” Trevon explained.
He said they were asked to return to the bench. From there, Trevon said he could have seen the lock-up cell. “I can sit down pun the bench and watch straight in the lock up,” he related.
At this point, he said he saw Peters and they had a conversation. “He (Peters) asked me wah I doing hay and I tell he,” Trevon said.
“He (Peters) did laying down, hand shackle up and he laying down and I talking to he,” he added.
By then, his relatives arrived and enquired whether the Williams brothers would be placed on bail and the police confirmed that they would be placed on $10,000 bail each.
“She gone and she come back in twenty minutes and she seh ‘I come back with the money to bail them two boys’. Me and meh brother and the officer that search we, call we back one by one again and ask we wah we name, address and everything. We sign…then he seh yall pick up yall thing them and we gone, we roll out,” Trevon further explained.
At the time, Trevon said there was another prisoner on the bench. His feet were shackled.
Further action
Jaheim’s father, Esse Peters yesterday told Stabroek News that the family through their attorney will be moving to the courts to take further action.
He said from the inception he wasn’t satisfied with the manner in which the matter was dealt with and he is not surprised at the outcome.
“You can’t put police to investigate police….from the time I go and I watch them action I done know duh gonna be the outcome….Them have to stop this stupidness,” the elder Peters said.
“He (police officer) have to be charge and we will go out and protest tuh,” he added.
Following the incident, Esse Peters had told Stabroek News that more witnesses had come forward to support his son’s account of the incident.
“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?” Esse Peters questioned.
As new information surfaced, Esse Peters had 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.
As of yesterday, Jaheim Peters remains hospitalised. Esse said doctors are monitoring his condition and if he doesn’t show any sign of improvement he will have to undergo emergency surgery.
While hospitalised, Jaheim Peters remains under police guard over the alleged robbery.
