A still from the video.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Royal Bahamas Police Force is still investigating a recent viral slapping incident involving one of its officers.
In the video, made public nearly two weeks ago, a man accused of loitering downtown was slapped in the head after taking a document from a police corporal. National Security Minister Marvin Dames called the incident “appalling.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police Emerick Seymour, the person responsible for disciplinary matters, told The Tribune on Friday that it “shouldn’t take an extraordinary time” to investigate the incident although he couldn’t say exactly when the investigation will be completed.
Despite public outrage over such videos, police rarely make a point of revealing its findings to the public.
In September, Mr Seymour told The Tribune an incident that went viral that month was under investigation, but the findings of that investigation have not yet been disclosed to the public. In that instance, a video showed a bloodied man in handcuffs crying for help as a police officer knelt on his chest. The clip was shared a few thousand times on Facebook. When the suspect said “all my hand and thing bleeding, real talk,” the officer said “shut up, shut up.” As the suspect heightened his pleas, complaining that his hands were bleeding, the officer said: “Yeah your (expletive) neck gon’ be bleeding soon.”
In May, Mr Seymour told The Tribune an incident that went viral that month was also under investigation, but police have not yet disclosed the findings from that investigation either. In the one minute clip that went viral, a police officer struck a man in the face at least twice. The caption of the video read: “Two police officers were caught on camera moments ago, beating down a young man in public. He was even beaten more as his friends watched because he began crying from getting slapped.” At one point, an office in a khaki police uniform asked the man, “What you crying for?” He then struck the man in the face again.
In April, Police Commissioner Anthony Ferguson told the press a video that went viral that month was under investigation. A 14-second clip in that case showed an officer steadily walking up to a man and slapping him across the face, using enough force to cause the man to stumble more than once. It was apparently not the first time the officer struck the man, as the person recording the video could be heard shouting, “N*a slap him again, bey!”
On Friday, Mr Seymour told The Tribune he would have no problem disclosing the results of investigations if asked about specific cases.
“They can’t be under investigation forever,” he said.
Comments
sucteeth 5 years, 5 months ago
Let one of them sissy ass police do that without his gun or officers around and I would beat the sh*t out of him.. they think since they carry a badge they are badasses but we all know they are for the most bunch of kids that got beat up all their lives and now they have a little power. lol
DDK 5 years, 5 months ago
Buncha sickos. Shameful that nothing happens and they remain on the force to escalate their crimes. It says so much about the lack of governance in this country. It is even more "appalling" when this sort of thing becomes so wide-spread and acceptable as the normal by those in charge and the public in general. Further, the way they treat fellow humans while in custody should not be allowed to continue. It is worse than deplorable, not to mention illegal. These sadistic "officers" should themselves be jailed.
sheeprunner12 5 years, 5 months ago
You should see how they beat each other behind closed doors ...... LOL
TalRussell 5 years, 5 months ago
Hopefully, lil touch policeman's hand coming into contact young man's cheeks - - goin shakeup some sense into making comrade to take more kindly following instructions from others as he proceeds into recalibrating he self.
ashley14 5 years, 5 months ago
Police should always have on video cameras. It makes it clear what happened.
ashley14 5 years, 5 months ago
Did anyone miss me. I've been sick and had surgery. I'm doing a lot better.
killemwitdakno 5 years, 5 months ago
He was asked to move and the guy was being disrespectful. He also yucked it back from the cop which is aggression towards the officer.
However the officer will lose for using the n word.
TheMadHatter 5 years, 5 months ago
"...told The Tribune on Friday that it “shouldn’t take an extraordinary time” to investigate the incident although he couldn’t say exactly when the investigation will be completed."
I predict it will be completed 4 days after the BPL fires investigation.
John 5 years, 5 months ago
An innocent young man was shot 18 times by a police officer with most of the bullets being in the victim’s back. And nothing has come out of that matter, apparently not on even a proper apology to the family or the police agreeing to launch a special investigation into the matter. So what do you think will come of this matter, or the matter last week where a young man claimed he was beaten by police with a cutlass until his buttocks bled and he couldn’t even sit down. And what about the other young man who claimed the police knocked his tooth. And there is the female protester who also claims police beat her and a video of the incident was posted. So have women now also become prey to police brutality? Are beatings and physical abuse a part of the police culture in this country, so much so that it is tolerated and condoned all the way to the top? With the exception of the few months training they get at the police college, more than ninety percent percent of police officers don’t not have education beyond high school. And for whatever reason they have the need to beat and abuse members of the public, whom they are also sworn to protect and serve, they must have enough common sense to realize if they have to injure, physically or mentally, three or four innocent persons to find one guilty one, then their actions are counterproductive. Those beating and even alleged torture are not easily forgotten and these innocent persons have to return to society when they have been broken and had their rights violated by officers who have sworn to protect. And the senior officers who encourage this behavior or even allow it to happen are most pathetic. It is testament that you are incompetent and incapable of doing your job properly or willing to take advantage of helpless John Q Public. So after they finish the beating one officer ask the next one ‘you hear how da one holler ‘. But it was the Bahamas crying out for justice.
DEDDIE 5 years, 5 months ago
A young man told me of an incident he witness it jail. He said one of the young men challenge an officer by saying, the only reason you're tough is because you have a gun. The police then proceeded to take of his holster and enter the cell to prove his toughness. The young man gain the upper and the other officers quickly rush in to not only separate the two but beat the daylights out of the challenger.
hrysippus 5 years, 4 months ago
From the UK. relevant perhaps: IOPC spokesman said: "Ultimately no police tactic can ever be used with impunity in a country where we police by consent - be that tactical contact, the use of firearms or the use of restraint. "It is always a matter of whether it's reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances. "But it would be wrong to offer guarantees in every case. Independent scrutiny is a vital part of public confidence in the way policing is done."
AntiPoliceBrutality 4 years, 8 months ago
Them 6 big slap I take walking from a bar couple house away Tuesday night when current was off send me here😂😂😂 niggaz had me for chalk in the dark all for themselves, and ask me "If I want die and if Ine see what's gern on meaning the AR he had on his shoulder. These type police need to realize that ain't only them get pressure. Leave ya stress home and RESPECT people b😒😒😒 STOP PHYSICALLY ATTACKING PEOPLE WHO AIN'T DO NOTHING WRONG. Because Police them is stay in these bars round by me getting wasted forgetting they is the man sizing ya up and fighting n ting😂😒 All behind my eyeball still hurting from them slap, but I wasn't even prepared to get they face or number cuz niggaz come out the darkness tell me put my hand up, take my legal self defence blade and just start slapping me to dust 2 house down from home. My night gone from happily drunk strolling home to cut ass out the blue and a loss of positive energy😒
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