Cops to be charged with assault on bus driver

Criminal and departmental charges have been recommended for two policemen who were recorded in a scuffle with a civilian last month on Lombard Street.

The Guyana Police Force has received legal advice to charge the two police officers, who assaulted civilian Troy Frank, a Route 31 (Patentia/Georgetown) minibus bus driver. It was also advised that Frank be charged.

Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine, during a press conference on Friday, told reporters that following investigations, the police had sought legal advice and it was told to charge all parties involved. It was not disclosed when the men would be arraigned.

The Guyana Police Force’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) had launched an investigation after a video showing the policemen involved in the fight with Frank was posted and widely shared on Facebook.

It is unclear what led to scuffle but a video showed Frank being removed from his vehicle and braced against a concrete wall. He was then seen using his hands to shield his head, as one officer held him while the other started to hit him.

Since the scuffle, Stabroek News has made continuous efforts to get the driver’s side of the story to no avail.

After the fight was parted by a colleague of the policemen, Frank was seen returning to his minibus and he was told by the officers that he needed to go to a police station.

He reportedly sustained bruises about his face and was bleeding as a result of the scuffle.