More charges of police brutality
While the business community tries to rally the public against crime, members of the criminal class are reminding us that not all law breakers sport bandannas and pants that sag.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
With three charges pending for incidents in September 2001 and four other court cases that were either struck out or dismissed, twenty-one year old Micah Thompson is no stranger to the legal system. But between 1:00 and 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, Thompson claims that police officers abducted him from his neighbourhood, took him to an area near mile six on the Western Highway, beat him up and threatened to kill him.
Micah Thompson
“Three officers hold me, one naming Flowers, the other Lorenzo, and Chun. Three of them brought me to this same area and start questioning me. After that, they asked me, “Whe me and Fuentes got?” I tell them nothing. They ask me, “Whe the AK deh?” I tell them nothing, I tell them I no know. They se if they kill me the public and everybody else wah think da Fuentes. Officer Flowers mi the push all the issue and he start to tell the other police they soft, mek we do this now.”
Janelle Chanona
“Do what?”
Micah Thompson
“Kill me. Deh drag me inna the bush and try kill me. But I resist by holding on to their vehicle and flagging down another vehicle. But the vehicle weh mi di pass just slow down and gone bout they business, they neva really stop.
They me de rough me up and thing. I get this bruise and that and this lee cut ya. They neva really wah like beat me up fu show any real bruise, they me just really wah kill me.”
According to Thompson, the cops wanted information about the big guns rumoured to be stashed in the George Street area. Fearing for his life, he said he told them what they wanted to hear.
Micah Thompson
“Fi I get out ah all ah this I had to mi talk deh out and tell they I know weh two AK deh weh unu could get. One ah the officer me so interested inna that, he really me trust me fu mi know that. So he say, we wah release the man, we wah take the man, just mek me show them the spot. So I take deh da my bally house pan Racecourse Street and I take deh… I tell deh the other AK deh pan George Street inna my bally van, but I know nothing neva deh in deh cause we no got nothing.”
Tonight the Police Department tells News 5 there is no record the incident ever took place and therefor cannot respond to the allegations of brutality. They advise Thompson to make a formal complaint to the Internal Affairs office. But Thompson says he has witnesses that will corroborate his story: his girlfriend and his cousin, who saw him being taken by police.
Ann Bradley
“When he came by this lane, Plues Street, we just heard this noise. We were wandering what it was, and when we came outside, we say it was the police. Three police, one by the name of Flowers and two others police officers. They were harassing him, they were dragging him and telling him that he has something, but he didn’t have anything. All he had was his money in his pocket.
I went at the station over at Queen Street and at that time he wasn’t there. I waited like five minutes, I waited, he wasn’t there still. I asked if anyone by the name Micah Thompson was in, “They said no.” I went to Racoon Street Station and I asked the officer if he was there and they said no. So I came back home and told his cousin he isn’t there, at home or anywhere.”
Kyle Blades
“They just deh roll bout the place haad all the time check, but I no know weh deh happen with they. I no know weh deh wah do, but they di play stupid, they crazy. They can’t play like that, that dah no fi deh job, just fu grab wah man fu no reason.”
Thompson believes that this entire scenario was triggered by an incident that occurred late last year involving himself and a police sergeant. The officer’s charges of assault were later dismissed by the Magistrate, a fact the young man believes the police resent.
Reporting for News 5, I am Janelle Chanona.
While we were unable to confirm whether or not Thompson is planning to file a complaint with Internal Affairs, this morning he told us he had already hired legal counsel to take action against the officers in question.
