Thank God someone in authority took notice, not that anything would come of it, but @ least this is a start in the right direction.
Probe into 'police brutality' video
PCA calls for witnesses...
By Joel Julien joel.julien@trinidadexpress.com
Story Created: Sep 4, 2012 at 10:46 PM ECT
Story Updated: Sep 4, 2012 at 10:46 PM ECT
AN "independent investigation" has been launched by the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) into a video which purports to depict a plainclothes police officer slapping a man and then taking him away in a marked police car.
The PCA is now calling for witnesses to come forward, especially "the concerned citizen who captured this event on camera".
Witnesses can contact the PCA at 800-2PCA, 800-2722 or email info@pca.org.tt.
"All information will be kept strictly confidential," a release from the PCA stated yesterday.
On Monday, National Security Minister Jack Warner called on acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams to investigate the video.
The 57-second long video, entitled "Police independence brutality", was posted on the CCN TV6 UReport days ago by someone using the name isiahblaxx.
The description which accompanies the video states "as we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we still see police brutality eminent in our society".
The video has gone viral on social networking site Facebook.
On Monday the video had just over 16,600 views.
By press time yesterday this figure stood at 34,998 views.
The fact that the video has gone viral has caught the attention of the PCA.
"At this time no official complaint has been filed by the alleged victim in the video but Section 21 (1) (a) of the Police Complaints Authority Act of 2006, enables the PCA to independently commence an investigation into the criminal offences involving police officers, police corruption and serious police misconduct," the PCA release stated yesterday.
The incident was compared to the situation at this year's Panorama semi-finals at Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain, where the PCA ruled that a lone police officer may have overstepped his bounds.
"This recent incident is also a matter of importance and like any complaint made against police officers, with respect to excessive use of force, is a matter that must be treated seriously," the PCA release stated.
"The PCA continues to hold its position of zero-tolerance for unnecessary use of force against citizens of our country by members of the TTPS and reiterates that we assess all matters within our remit with unreserved objectivity," the PCA stated.
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