The Guyana Police Force and the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) have launched an investigation into the alleged attack on a pregnant woman and her children’s father on Wednesday night by ranks of the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost.
This was revealed by Commander of ‘A’ Division Marlon Chapman yesterday afternoon. Chapman said that the Force and the OPR have both launched an investigation into the matter and are currently in the process of taking statements from the persons involved.
Thirty-five-year-old Jewel Bearam and Jermaine Wilson went to the Outpost to inquire about the woman’s brother who had been arrested when an altercation ensued between the couple and the police.
As a result, Wilson suffered injuries to his arm while Bearam was hit in her face and stomach. Bearam is over six months pregnant.
Speaking with Stabroek News yesterday, Bearam’s sister, Malika said that both her sister and Wilson were released from custody.
While Bearam’s jaw is not broken, Malika said it is swollen and that she is still in pain. As it relates to Wilson, she explained that after he was taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Hospital, the doctor administered an injection for the pain and then referred him to the Georgetown Public Hospital to do an x-ray.
However, the woman explained that when the man was brought back from the hospital, he was kept at the outpost until yesterday morning.
Her brother, who Bearam and Wilson had gone to visit at the outpost, was also subsequently released.
The families of the duo had explained to Stabroek News that when Wilson and Bearam arrived at the station on Wednesday evening, they inquired about the charge and were told by officers that while the man was arrested for threatening language, there was no witness nor was he found with any weapons.
As a result, Bearam and Wilson questioned why the man was still being held on the bench, and subsequently, Wilson left and went outside of the station where he started voicing his displeasure at the situation.
Shortly after, Malika said, an officer approached Wilson and told him that he could not be outside of the station and “started chucking he up.”
“He call another officer to lock him up so Jermaine started asking what you locking me up for I ain’t do nothing,” Malika said.
She said that shortly after the police approached Wilson, a scuffle ensued between the two of them, which resulted in the man being dragged into the police outpost. While he was in the outpost, the scuffle intensified as one of the officers allegedly started punching the man and then hitting him with one of their batons.
While all of this was happening, Bearam was standing, looking on when she noticed that one of the officers was videoing the scene with his phone. As a result, the woman decided to take her phone out and video the situation.
“One of the police told her she can’t tape and [Bearam] seh ‘if you taping why I can’t tape’ and he [the officer] cuff she to she face like she is a man and then to she tummy,” the woman recalled.
Malika also explained that Bearam had to take a lawyer to the outpost yesterday to retrieve her phone, but later found out that the video of the scuffle had been deleted.
