Battered man claims police brutality

WITH bloodshot, swollen eyes and bruises about his face, a 41-year-old Penal man yesterday claimed police badly beat him and laid two false charges of obscene language and resisting arrest against him.

Wincing in pain, Anthony George, accompanied by his brother Dave, visited Newsday’s South Bureau office yesterday and called on Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Minister of National Security Martin Joseph to investigate the matter. Recalling the incident which occurred last Friday, George said he was guarding two tents at the Penal Market when a man, whom he did not know, pointed a cutlass at him. George said he ran home to get a slingshot. However, the cutlass-wielding man went to the Penal Police Station where he made a report and by the time George returned, he was confronted by four police officers. George said he gave the policemen the slingshot and explained to them what had happened. “One of them (officers) hit me with a gun butt to the back of my head and I blacked out. When I came to, it was Saturday morning and I was in a jail cell in the station and my face was paining me,” George said.

He added that a policeman told him he was charged with using obscene language and resisting arrest. George said the policeman told him he fell down and injured his face. “And he say if the magistrate asked me what happened to his face, I should reply that I fell down.” George said after he got bail, on Saturday he went to a private doctor and then to the San Fernando General Hospital, where he was examined and given medication. He said he was supposed to have attended the Siparia Magistrates’ Court yesterday, but only started regaining vision from his previously swollen eyes, so he sent his cousin to the court with a medical certificate. George said he is appealing to the Prime Minister to investigate his claims of police brutality, since he (George) feared a similar fate in the near future.