Family alleges police brutality
The Tillett family of mile eight on the Western Highway claims that two police officers, who frequently patrol the area, attacked and beat up their sixteen year old son, Kenan Welch, for no legitimate reason. The teenager had to be hospitalised and treated for a number of internal bruises. Following his release from the K.H.M.H., the family visited News 5’s Jacqueline Woods to talk about the incident. According to Welch, shortly after one on Monday afternoon he went to visit an aunt in the neighbourhood. The officers, who he identified as Ernesto Wiltshire, and another he knows only as Zuniga, were at the house when they took offence to something he said to a couple of young ladies present.
Kenan Welch, Alleges Police Brutality
“I walk outta her yard and her daughters they tell me like, roll from yah cause we noh want you yah. So I spin round and look pan them and seh, well F– unuh, because I noh really need to stay yah. So the policeman get up and tell me watch my language. I tell ah, well I nevah mi the talk to you. From deh he look pan me and tell me, watch weh I wah do with yuh lee r–. Then he start to come at me and I start to run from the man.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Where was this police officer?”
Kenan Welch
“Right in my auntie yard. They mi the sit down there from bout 12 o’clock the afternoon.”
Jacqueline Woods
“So they chase you down?”
Kenan Welch
“Yes ma’am, they chase me almost a whole mile before they ketch me. Because dah through lone bush I run. After a while, they meet this certain young man, I noh know the young man good, but the young man tell me he dah from West Street. And he, the man punch he, punch me down off my foot then the police come grab me. And when the police come grab me they punch in my belly, box me in my face and thing.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Sarah, you said that you heard the your son was being beaten up? What happened next, you saw your son come out from the bushes?”
Sarah Tillett, Mother
“Yes. When he came out he was all bloody up and they had him handcuffed. They brought him from the back of the bushes and they brought him outside where the police vehicle was parked in the other yard and the police that was out there boxed up my son after they bring him out bloody up, then they bring him to the police station.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Now I understand that your son had to be hospitalised.”
Sarah Tillett
“Yes. About 9:30 last night the police man went to look for me at eight miles and told me my son is in the hospital and the doctor said that they had to operate on him because he suffering from appendix. So I came to the hospital and I asked what was happening. The doctor said they already done an X-ray and that my son wasn’t suffering from appendix, it was because of the bruises and the beating that the policeman gave him. Well I intend to pres charges, because I want justice done. Because then they beat him up for nothing, so I will press charges.”
Tillett says one of the accused police officers told her that Welch had insulted him and that he would be charged. We understand that the police internal affairs section is investigating the report.
