A man was arrested yesterday after he and another man physically assaulted a traffic officer on the Turkeyen access road in the vicinity of MovieTowne cinemas.
The Guyana Police Force said in a statement that around 16:45 hrs on the Railway Embankment road at Plaisance, Constable Harlequin had approached a vehicle that was heavily tinted and was being driven by 30-year-old construction worker Kessee Edwards of Lot 62 Friendship, East Coast Demerara.
He asked Edwards to take the vehicle to the Sparendaam Police Sta-tion, where it would be inspected by a License and Certifying Officer, the police said.
Edwards allegedly refused to comply and speedily left, driving over Harlequin’s foot in the process. The traffic officer gave chase and intercepted Edwards at Turkeyen access road.
The release said Edwards exited the vehicle, approached Harlequin, told him that someone called ‘Demon’ was on the phone and started using a series of expletives towards him. A short while later, it added, another car arrived, driven by a man dressed in a green shirt and short black pants.
This man confronted the traffic officer using a series of expletives and then becoming physical.
The release said Harlequin was continuously punched, in the view of bystanders, some of whom were also heard shouting, “beat he”. A video of the assault has gone viral.
However, a former policeman who was passing by intervened, allowing Harlequin to get away from the two men, the release said. Just after, Edwards was arrested.
Commissioner of Police (ag) Clifton Hicken condemned the actions of the men and called on the public to help to maintain law and order.
“The Guyana Police Force would like to make it absolutely clear that it has a zero-tolerance policy for persons who feel they can attack and assault policemen and women at their whim and fancy,” the release said. It added that Hicken was outraged at the assault and said such behaviour “would not be tolerated, and anyone who feels they can assault and attack the police while carrying out their sworn duty to serve and protect will face the full brunt of the law.”
