{"id":155235,"date":"2022-07-05T16:04:07","date_gmt":"2022-07-05T20:04:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=155235"},"modified":"2022-07-05T16:52:04","modified_gmt":"2022-07-05T20:52:04","slug":"police-investigating-alleged-brutality-in-barbuda-by-fellow-officers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/police-investigating-alleged-brutality-in-barbuda-by-fellow-officers\/","title":{"rendered":"Police investigating alleged brutality in Barbuda by fellow officers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Observer by Newsco:<\/p>

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Police are currently investigating reports logged against four of their own by two members of the public.<\/p>\n

Two men \u2013 Shackeal Yearwood, 24, and Kenny Morris, 22 \u2013 claim that they were badly beaten two weekends ago in Barbuda by four lawmen.<\/p>

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According to Morris, the officers apparently told them, \u201cWe come here to send a message to all Barbudans who believe dem bad. We come here to calm down Barbuda because Barbudans like to beat police and don\u2019t like police.\u201d<\/p>

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Yearwood told Observer that on the night of June 25 he and his friend were at a beach party in Barbuda when he, Yearwood, got into an argument with a woman.<\/p>\n

He claims that four plain clothed officers who were drinking at the party approached him and the young woman aggressively, making a scene.<\/p>

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Yearwood reported that he left and went back to a vehicle where he had left Morris and his girlfriend and they all headed back to their various homes together.<\/p>\n

Morris alleges that in the wee hours of the morning, he was awakened by raps on his door and, when he opened it, a police officer pushed him inside without a warrant and three others proceeded to hold him down and put a black bag over his head.<\/p>

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He claims that he was dragged into a pick-up and the officers began beating him and threatened to kill him.<\/p>

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He says that it wasn\u2019t until they got close to the station that the law enforcement officials removed the bag from his head and he was able to identify them.<\/p>\n

But the beating continued at the police station to the point where he became unconscious, Morris alleged.<\/p>\n

He claimed that the officers even forced his head through a hole in a chair before giving him six bogus charges, despite the fact that he was nowhere near the incident at the party.<\/p>\n

He was charged with disorderly conduct, indecent language, insulting language, assault on police, battery on police, and being armed with an offensive weapon.<\/p>\n

Morris believes that he was targeted purely because he is friends with Yearwood.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Yearwood reported that he was also subsequently arrested on June 26.<\/p>\n

He too claimed that he was badly beaten at the station and then given five of the same charges as his friend.<\/p>\n

He said that he sustained an injury to his ear drum and head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a migraine. I can\u2019t eat properly. I got buss up in my upper mouth. I can\u2019t even talk properly,\u201d Yearwood told Observer.<\/p>\n

Morris also had visible injuries and, when the duo appeared in court, the magistrate could see that they were badly beaten.<\/p>\n

The officers told the court that the two men were lying but the magistrate did not believe the police\u2019s version of events and consequently dismissed the charges against the pair.<\/p>\n

Police spokesman Inspector Frankie Thomas told Observer the police administration was looking into the allegations.<\/p>\n

ALSO READ:<\/p>\n

I am victim of Recent Police Brutality in Barbuda<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n