Eyewitness gives account of officer’s beating

As we told you earlier, there are different sides to every story – and the version told by San Ignacio Police couldn’t be more different. According to their report, Police were on routine patrol when they saw Pinnix without a shirt, screaming and shaking the metal gate to the entrance to Blue Angels nightclub. They say they approached him and asked him to behave, and when he didn’t, they informed him that he was under arrest. That’s when Police say Pinnix approached them and attacked one of the officers, punching him in the head. The officer he allegedly attacked then hit him in the head with a baton to subdue him, and he was then arrested and taken to the Police Station. Police say at that point they informed him that he was under arrest for aggravated assault and disorderly conduct. Of course, their version doesn’t state that Pinnix was unconscious at the time. Pinnix’s cousin Marvin Guevara was present during the beating and the subsequent detention. He says that one Policeman approached Pinnix and immediately started beating him, and admits that Pinnix hit the officer, but says it was in reflex.

Voice of: Marvin Guevara, Witnessed the Beating

“The other officers still mi di stand up when dehn knock back the man instant. Dahn noh like ih watch pan ahn and then start to knock ahn back. Number one dah like weh you got against this man fi make you come and not even ask question and start to beat pan this man yah. And even if the man do mi di drink, as wah police, yo supposed to stop and ask questions before you start to do anything. He bruk up the club ina di man head. And with wah man weh noh got nothing fi arm ihself and unu three big mules with club and thing, ih noh need club fi three ah unu fi clam down wah man; three big man. Dehn dreg di man. When dehn dash ahn ina di thing, dehn bruk wah next one pan di man. When I follow dehn, I see dehn dreg di man up the stairs because di man mi pass out. ih pass out; he neva mi conscious or nothing. When I gone ina di station, dehn got ahn front of the station deh; dash wey pan di ground and that dah it. No kinda injuries…Mister Jones di check wa lee injury weh ih got ina head. Yo that dah nothing. When I reach in there, I tell the man bredda this man yah…watch pan that opening weh ih got ina ih head deh. This man di bleed like crazy. The man say me noh worry about that; me noh care if this man dead. And that dah weh ih say personal; right ina di station because I was there. I watch from the beginning to the end.”

According to Guevara, at one point the policeman who initiated the beating pointed a gun at him and his cousin, threatening to kill them. Today News Five contacted the Officer Commanding the San Ignacio Police Formation Superintendent Ralph Moody. He confirmed that his officers did use force to subdue Pinnix, but states that it was justifiable. According to Moody, on Tuesday, Pinnix will be arrested and charged for assaulting a police officer. Late this evening we spoke to B.D.F. Chief of Staff Colonel Raymond Shepherd who told us that if the Police intend to charge Pinnix, the B.D.F. will take him to San Ignacio on Tuesday.