Riot Squad Deployed to Quell Uprising Backa Gungulung

In the wake of Cherrington’s murder, numerous gunshots rang out in Lake I prompting the police department to deploy a riot squad to quell the unrest.  When the officers arrived on the scene they were met with resistance from residents in the Holy Emmanuel Street area.  They reportedly hurled missiles at the officers who, according to Commissioner Chester Williams, exercised great restraint in the face of the uproar.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“The St. Martin’s area does have a compliment of officers now from our specialized units.  They are in there operating and they have instructions to ensure that they do what needs to be done to arrest the situation.  What happened last night was totally uncalled for on the part of those persons who resisted the police, who stoned at the police, who shot at the police.  All of this happened last night.  They have to get the message, the police are the law enforcement agency in this country and when we move in to deal with a situation we expect that those persons against whom we are going, they must respect the law and be calm when the police come.”

Reporter

“Mr. Williams: The media obviously wasn’t on the ground last night when that amateur video was shot, so for the record can you kindly share with us if that operation last night was an isolated operation and what was the purpose behind that operation last evening?”

Chester Williams

“Mr. Orson, it was not a planned operation per se.  It was a spontaneous one and it was one that the police had to do to respond to the situation that was happening in the St. Martin’s area.  So when the police initially went in, they were, stones were hurled at them, gunshots were heard and so myself and Mr. Rosado communicated and we retreated to get the riot shields that the police officers can use to protect themselves as they go in from these missiles and even gunshots.  When the riot shields came in, the officers formed, got into their formation and they moved in very tactically and they dealt with the situation.  Even then, you could have heard people in the video still throwing words to say do them this or do them that.  So it shows the level of hostility that the police were confronting when they went into that particular are last night.”