by Dr Neals J Chitan
A recent police brutality video including what seems to be 3 Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) officers beating the hell out of a man with a metal wand is circulating on social media, and, if it is indeed RGPF officers, it really doesn’t look good!!
The scene is that of an adult male wearing boxers only, with legs tied, hands restrained being dragged on the ground by 2 officers, while the third officer is beating the daylights out of him with what looks like a metal pipe of something of that sort. Barbaric, I say!! Is that all the dignity and respect we give and show to our citizens? As trained law enforcers, if that’s all you have to offer in terms of restraining a citizen then you need to re-think your training! No apologies!! So, let’s break it down!!
As a social skill professional whose craft involves assessing, analysing and problem solving, knowing the two sides of a story is crucial to a conclusion. However, when blatant disrespectful and inhumane responses are meted out, like in this video, a one-sided conclusion can be easily drawn by the public which can neutralise what may be deemed a necessary response by police. That’s why police officers need to STOP and THINK before impulsively and emotionally responding to a situation.
As the video rolls, we see an adult male, who knows? A criminal probably, being manhandled by plainclothes law enforcers. We do not know the crime that summoned such an inhumane response, and by the way, the subject may have done something or behaved in a manner that deserved harsh enforcement. However, let’s take a more analytic look at the behavioural response from the lawmen.
The first thing I noticed was that the man being arrested was only wearing what seemed like boxers. And there go the questions: (1) Was he so uncooperative and threatening that he had to be hauled out in public without being dignifiedly dressed? (2) Was he so dangerous to the public and so wanted by the lawmen that they couldn’t waste time having him clothed in public? Was that really the case? Or was that the emotional impulsive reaction by the police to perceived guilt?
Then, let’s look at the way they dragged him on the ground to the police vehicle. The subject gave no evidence of his physical incapacitation and inability to walk. However, he was dragged on the ground on his bare unclothed back. Do you mean that 3 trained officers can’t lift an uncooperating individual whose feet and hands are restrained for what seems like much less than a hundred meters? Or was it, “a beast like you deserve to be dragged on the ground and taken to the van by any means necessary?” Just asking!
And what about the constant beating with a metal wand? Here we have a perfectly restrained man whose hands and feet are securely bound and who cannot run away, fight back or defend himself being mercilessly beaten by an arresting officer while being dragged on his bare back as an animal. WOW! As a matter of fact, as I observed the frequency of the blows and the demeanour of the beating officer, I see what may be, rage, vigilante justice and inhumanity. What did you see?
As citizens, or at least, as humans, I believe we deserve better interactions, treatment and respect from authority figures and law enforcement. Despite our disrespect, anti-social behaviour and infractions, there is some form of basic human dignity to which we are entitled, and in this case, wasn’t given. I see it as a serious lack of humanity, critical thinking and professionalism on the part of the 3 officers, which by reflection, showcases the RGPF as such. I call on the high command of the RGPF to publicly address this situation while also doing an in-depth analysis of their methods of arrest, restraint and detention.
Remember police officers, your job is not meant to serve justice! You are not the judge! Your job is to arrest and detain individuals who you have reasons to believe are a danger to the public and themselves. The world is looking on my friends and you too as police officers need to “Always STOP and THINK before you PROCEED,” because not doing so may cost your career, your reputation and who knows, maybe your life too!!
Dr Neals Chitan is an International Social Skill Consultant and Crime Reduction Specialist who holds a PhD in Social and Behavioural Sciences and currently works in Grenada. He is the President/Founder of Motiv-8 For Change International a Toronto-based Social Skill Agency and can be reached from North America at 647-692-6330 and locally 473-416-8377 or at [email protected]
*Sorry Mr. Chitan.
Sorry Me Chitan. But you lost me when you incorrectly state that the man being obviously ill-treated by the supposedly police officers was being dragged on the ground on his bare back over a distance as you say of 100 meters. 1st of all he was being partially lifted and not dragged on the ground as you would want us to believe. Be honest and take another look at the video. Why were his feet tied? I do not know and the video does not explain that. 2n’dly the video does not show him being dragged from a house. 3rdly all this about not giving him time to put on better clothes is bull, maybe that was all that he was wearing when caught, the fact that they tied his feet indicates that he was trying to flee and maybe kicking at the officers..we do not know. It is common sense that they would have preferred him to walk to the transport maybe with lashes to goard him on to the transport rather than to strain to lift him. He looks quite heavy to carry, especially if he had been writhing in attempts to resist arrest. The beating I consider was uncalled for because as you rightly stated it is for the judge, not the police to dish out punishment for crime and in this case the individual was already tied. But the big question is what we don’t know from just looking at the video…what was the crime that warranted his arrest. God forbid it to have been caught in the act of doing something horrendous like sexually molesting or raping a child. Then the very people that would be criticizing the police on harsh treatment may be ones calling for yet harsher treatment even to the cutting off his testicles maybe or worse yet..’kill him’. The fact is we do not know the facts. So I think that it is disingenuous to go public against the police without first doing some investigation to get the facts of the case just because you hold title and have office position that expect you to pick up on such matters. Also like with the bare back dragging over 100 meters maybe you saw another video than the one I saw. But if it is the same one that we all saw then your credibility is shot.
Even if he was sexual molesting a child are you suggesting they’re justified in beating him then?
Mr. Medford, thanks for your response and corrections where applicable. I apologize if in my passion for justice, my perception was a bit tainted. However, objective responses like yours will help sharpen our social tools in the future!! Appreciated
As Black people we are abused by White Racists cops and Black mentally ill cowards posing as cops. Seemingly we can’t escape abuse as a people. Either the White man abusing us or some ignorant Black Beast abusing us. You can be sure these Black cowards animals in Grenada are like the Black cops in Nashville who beat that Black kid to death for nothing should be arrested and thrown in.a jail cell with Prisoners so we can see how tough they are. They know they will get special treatment like the Scumbags who beat Grenadian-Canadian tourist Bartholomew to death a few years ago for mistakenly hugging a women police officer who he thought was an old friend. The jackals ripped him to shreds. Stinking cowards. People must retaliate against them when like in Jamaica when they abuse and murder people.
Enough is Enough.
Real Black Man