A case of police brutality?

THE EDITOR: I Dave Goolcharan of Ortorie Village, Mayaro, father of five receiving public assistance was asleep in my bed on the morning of 08/07/03 around 4.50 am when my wife and I heard pounding at our front window and door. My wife Katiban woke up and peeped through a crease and saw two persons in plain clothes that she recognised along with other men approximately 15 of them. She did not answer because they did not announce their presence. She then started to change her clothes when we heard the front door break down and these persons proceeded into the bedroom when my wife hailed out to them that she was changing her clothes. That’s when one of the men walked in on her flashing the light directly on her saying “I don’t want to know that,” looking at her naked in the room. The men then snatched me out of my bed when one of the men told me “you good to take for a ride and shoot off your two foot.” They took me to the Mayaro Police Station where they questioned me about a stolen boat engine.

I told them that I had nothing to do with that and, one of the officers started to beat me with his hand, pounding and cuffing me all over my neck and shoulder and hitting my head against a steel gate etc. After their shift was changed the other officers on the new shift started to beat on me as well. After great torment and torture for 12 hours they released me around 4 pm. I then went to the Mayaro District Hospital where I had a medical done and was then sent to the Sangre Grande District Hospital to the Radiology Department. Please find attached copies of the Doctor’s medical and referral and prescription. What is this country really coming to? A man can’t even sleep peaceful in his own home? I would like to know if any police officer has the right to enter a person’s home without a valid search warrant and proper announcement. This is now the second brutality and false accusation done to me by the Mayaro police over the past three years, and now I would be seeking legal action.

DAVE GOOLCHARAN
Mayaro