Event involving St Mary boy widely condemned
Police are investigating the incident that has gone viral in which a police officer seemed to be using excessive force to restrain an 11-year-old from St Mary.
The boy and his sister were riding in their father’s car when the dad stopped at a routine traffic stop in Oracabessa, St Mary. There was a dispute between the father and a policeman about whether the children were wearing seat belts or should have been properly secured with a child’s seat.
It is reported but not confirmed that the policeman said he was going to arrest the father. He reportedly attempted to hold on to the father who objected.
It is at that time the boy, a student of Oracabessa Primary School is said to have come out of the car and shouted at the policeman to leave his father. The boy also reportedly hit the policeman and grabbed the cop’s uniform, tearing a section of it.
The boy fell to the ground and the policeman involved attempted to restrain him. At least four other police officers are seen looking on. In the video, it appears the policeman placed his knee in the boy’s chest and the child cried out asking for water. The video seen by the North Coast Times does not show the boy being pepper sprayed, although reports are that happened.
The father, at one point, was heard to be telling the police to give him any number of tickets to let the boy go.
PROTEST, CONDEMNATION
The actions of the police have been widely condemned. The rights group Jamaicans for Justice said members of the school community reached out to them and asked for their intervention. JFJ’s executive director Mikel Jackson described the police action as barbaric. They called on the Police Commissioner Major Antony Anderson to make a statement about the matter.
Parents at the school protested, bearing placards, on Monday. They hit out at the police for the treatment of the boy. They described the police’s action as cruel. However, several people have questioned the boy’s response, saying he seemed to need counselling.
On social media there have been many comments, most of them appear to suggest that the police used excessive force on the boy. Some have aid the boy was behaving like an enraged adult.
The boy and his sister have since received counselling.
Here is a small section of the video that has emerged:
On Tuesday, November 28, the police issued a statement saying they were aware of the incident and would be investigating it.
Here is the full statement:
IPROB INVESTIGATING POLICE ALTERCATION WITH ST. MARY BOY
November 28, 2023-
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) acknowledges a recent incident involving a traffic stop in St Mary, in which a boy became involved in a confrontation with our members. The incident followed a routine stop of a driver, who is the father of the boy, for a traffic violation. The situation escalated, leading to the involvement of the student and physical altercation with a police officer. The JCF, along with other state authorities, is currently conducting a thorough investigation into the matter. This includes reviewing the incident, collecting necessary statements as well as seeking additional footage to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the events. We will provide further updates as more information becomes available.
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