By Bibi Khatoon
A 33-year-old father of two is calling for justice after he was brutalised by the Police when he resisted arrest at the Meadow Bank Wharf, Greater Georgetown on Thursday morning.
Quincy Letlow, a fish vendor, is now left with several stitches to his face and is nursing internal injuries after he was struck several times with a pair of handcuffs by a plainclothes Police Officer.
He told the News Room that on his way to the Police station, the plainclothes cop placed the gun in his mouth and threatened to kill him.
“I want justice…I know is Police and Police don’t go against Police but I want justice,” Letlow told the News Room at his East Ruimveldt home on Friday.
He further noted, “The police who did beating me, when he put me in the van, he start beat me in the van and put the gun in me mouth saying ‘alyuh does play yual is bad boy, all the bad boy them me does want kill’…I tell he me ain’t trouble nobody,” Letlow told the News Room.
In a widely circulated Facebook video, two Police Officers –one in plain clothes –were seen attacking the father of two after he resisted arrest.
Letlow was accused of stealing a snapper worth $6,000 from another vendor.
The video, recorded by a civilian, showed the Police Officer in plainclothes repeatedly striking Letlow to his face with a pair of handcuffs after he was thrown to the ground by the uniformed cop.
The scuffle between him and the cops resulted in Letlow’s pants coming off and he is observed being beaten as he stood in his underwear and T-shirt in full view of other vendors and members of the public.
At one point of being dragged to the Police van, Letlow grabbed a knife from one of the stalls but later released it after which the plainclothes cop retrieved his firearm from the Police van and pointed it in Letlow’s face as he continued to resist arrest.
Another vendor is observed in the video speaking to Letlow after which he entered the Police van and was escorted to the Police Station.
Explaining what led to the scuffle, the 33-year-old man said the cops visited him at about 08:00hrs –two hours after the simple larceny report was made –and requested that he accompany them to the Ruimveldt Police Station.
Letlow claims that he asked the Police officers to call his brother first before arresting him when he was attacked.
Letlow was later released on self-bail after which he was taken to the hospital.
Letlow told the News Room he is innocent and that vendor who made the accusations does not want to take the matter further. Letlow said his brother who also vends on the wharf volunteered to repay the $6,000.
He has two children, ages 9 and 10, and his wife is heavily pregnant.
As the sole breadwinner of the home, the man said his family is significantly affected since he will not be able to work for some time.
“My stomach hurting, my eyes, my head…I don’t have money to move around nowhere…every time I spit, is clot blood…I got to wait until my brother come to carry me to the hospital…all of my teeth shaking how he beat me with his gun,” the vendor explained.
The Guyana Police Force in a brief statement noted that the Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating the incident.
