A Hope Estate, East Coast Demerara (ECD) family is accusing ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) of threatening to kill a man in front of his wife and five children on Saturday last. It is also alleged that a toddler was thrown into the wall during the Police operation.
In a video that was seen on social media, Nicholas Bacchus said at around 1:00h on Saturday morning he was asleep in his home when he heard someone knocking at his door.
He said he got up, went to the door, peeped, and came face-to-face with officers from the Cove and John Police Station.
“… when I open de door, them man start telling me about some drugs and run in me house… me wife had on she bare tights and them man run in me house, and start tumble up and so… I start to explain to them that I get five children in this house.”
“Me big daughter heard the bramming on the door and run under de bed and hide because she start panic,” he said.
The man explained that after the cops did not find anything in his home, they took him outside in the yard, put him to kneel on a heap of sand, and told him that they were told by someone in Mahaica that he was selling drugs.
“Them man start telling me about the drugs and that they will kill me… me wife deh watching them through the door and them tell me tell me wife go inside and lock up before me shoot up everybody.”
“Me start holler pon me wife cause me nah want me wife and me pickney them get hurt. When me wife lock in the door, them man tell me kneel down, go to he waist, pull out he gun crank it, and put it to me head…”, the man explained.
He said shortly after his neighbours started coming out, and the Police aborted their mission.
“When he [the Police officer] walk away, the other one ask he if he find the evidence and he tell the Police them I know this man. Them man tell me he gon kill me in front me wife and children.”
The man related that he does not know what the Police are alleging because he does not sell drugs. He said he is of the belief that someone tried to set him up just because he tried to be a peacemaker a few days ago in a matter.
“I see a man chopping up a next man, and me go and part. The same day the youth man a talk that he old man is de biggest drugs dealer it get in Mahaica… I didn’t go to fight; I just went to save my neighbour…”.
“How me can sell drugs and live in this lil house with five pickney… they even pull out me cutlass, throw it on de ground next to me and tell me kneel down next to it. I don’t know if when them deh kill me they wudda say me draw cutlass pun them that’s why them shoot me, and me wife and children wudda lose,” he further voiced.
He said during the Police raid, his toddler was thrown into the wall even though he asked the cops to be careful because she was lying on the bed.
“Me baby daughter lie down on that bed and me say officer look me baby daughter deh deh, them man snatch the mattress, raise it up, and paste me, baby daughter into the wall. Them say when them come back, them coming back more serious and them coming fo me life.”
Bacchus called on higher authorities to look into the matter since he believes it was Police brutality.
This publication made several efforts to contact Regional Commander Khali Pareshram to get a comment on this issue, but all calls went unanswered.
Only last week Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall said the Government is looking to curb misconduct and harassment by ranks of the Guyana Police Force – a practice which he said has been resulting in the wasting of State resources.
Minister Nandlall pointed out that while Police officers must be allowed to discharge their statutory functions and duties, this should not be done in a manner that infringes, violates, or tramples upon the rights and freedom of citizens.
According to Nandlall, members of the public are constantly complaining about the Police behaviour.
The Legal Affairs Minister further acknowledged the need to enhance awareness and education of the public as well as the Police Force in relation to Police powers and the rights and freedoms of citizens, which are guaranteed by the Constitution.
