When two arms of the Law clash, the video goes viral
Two Guyana Police Force Traffic Cops on duty doing a routine check.
Two Guyana Police Force Traffic Cops on duty doing a routine check.

By Francis Quamina Farrier

TALK about “Hot Topics”; well, when the recent public clash of a Guyanese Attorney-at-Law and a Guyanese traffic policeman which took place on the East Coast Demerara, was recorded and put on Facebook, it went viral in a jiffy. I am now wondering whether that is the first time a Guyanese has the dubious distinction of being the first from his country to have a snippet of his life which was recorded of him in a heated face-off with a traffic policeman, in which expletives were hurdled as fast as bullets from an AK-47, go viral.

That verbal blast was seen online by tens of thousands of people in Guyana and around the world, in what can be classified as not the best moment in the life of that attorney-at-law.

While the incident drew some support for the lawyer, it also drew lots of condemnation for the way in which he reacted to that routine traffic check by the traffic cop. Such routine traffic checks have discovered many items such as illegal firearms and narcotics, according to Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan.

Before I go into some of the details of this “Hot Topic” which after over a week is still being discussed verbally, on the telephone and online, let me share with you, a few of my own encounters with men of both professions – the law enforcers – policemen and policewomen – and the law defenders, also referred to as lawyers and attorneys-at-Law.

Let’s turn the clock back about 60 years when I became as proud as punch on the occasion of my fellow McDoom villager, Ms Norma Jackman, becoming the first female Magistrate in the country of British Guiana, after serving as a lawyer for some time. Ms. Jackman was respectability and professionalism personified and set an excellent example for others to emulate. She knew the English language very well and never had to descend into vulgar language. She was a school teacher before pursuing a career in the legal profession and one can say that she broke the glass ceiling for women in Guyana in the legal profession.

Also from my village of McDoom, on the East Bank of Demerara, was policeman Neville Cush. He was “An officer and a gentleman” and executed his duties as a law enforcer in the most professional way, bringing lawbreakers to justice and rising through the ranks to a very senior position in the Guyana Police Force. Young boys growing up in McDoom Village, myself included, benefited from the shining example set officer Cush and so we respected policemen.

Now here’s a bit from my own interactions with members of the Guyana Police Force; both the good and the bad. I always show respect and have received much respect from constables to Commissioners over the years, even overseas. Once while in Washington, D.C., USA, I was even given a complimentary ride on a police motorcycle, because the officer saw me admiring the powerful machine. That complementary ride was video recorded and shown on the TV Evening News here in Guyana. But so far, I’ve never had the offer of a ride on a Guyana police motorcycle, no matter how much I am seen admiring those GPF motorcycles; whether brand new or battered. Maybe one day I will have such an experience, as I’ve had in America.

Unfortunately, there have been a few instances when I was treated less than the law-abiding citizen that I am, by rogue cops. That was so while doing my work as a journalist. Case One: a senior officer attacked me and destroyed my very expensive video camera while I was recording a scene in a public location at Linden in Region 10 some years ago. His action was proven to be illegal by his peers and I was awarded financial compensation (just about 30 per cent of the value of the video camera) from the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

Case Two: while video recording scenes on the Aurora Public Road, on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two, for a news item on the Evening News, two junior ranks from the Aurora Police Station dragged me into the station and detained me, claiming that I was video recording scenes around the station. That of course, was NOT an illegal act. That detention lasted for just about 15 minutes since a phone call was made to then Police Commissioner Laurie Lewis, by a concerned observer, and the Commissioner called the Divisional Commander at Suddie, who called the Aurora Police Station and ordered my immediate release.

I sued the Police for wrongful detention and the case was called up in the High Court before Justice Carl Singh. The police were represented by Senior Counsel Doodnauth Singh, who conceded that his clients, the two police officers who detained me, were wrong in their action. Justice Carl Singh handed down compensation of $30,000. My lawyer was Nigel Hughes; one of Guyana’s most brilliant and celebrated attorneys-at-law. I need to let you know that subsequently, both of the policemen who had detained me at the Aurora Police Station, were fired from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) some years later because they were found to have been involved in other illegal activities.

Now for a story with positive police interaction which I once reported on the Evening News TV programme. It was about the unselfish voluntary work of a police constable at Mahdia, in Region Eight. Every evening, he would be out there coaching the youngsters in various ball games; football, rounders, basketball, cricket; it seems that he was proficient in every ballgame and he shared his knowledge with the youngsters at Mahdia. Commissioner Laurie Lewis saw my TV report and later told me that he had promoted the rank for his voluntary work with the youths at Mahdia. The above proves that there are both good and bad lawyers and there are good and bad police officers.

Now back to the recent case which occurred on the East Coast of Demerara between a policeman and a lawyer, which continues to be a “Hot Topic”. Here is some of the feedback which is swirling on Facebook: First, on the lawyer:
“He is crazy. SHOULD BE MADE TO SAY SORRY TO THAT OFFICER.”
“He needs counselling! He can very well have been an abused child. He has a passion and a strange behaviour pattern.”
“Guyanese may be labelled as ‘cuss birds’.”
“Guess after seeing that video he’s sorry for his actions.” “Respect is earned.”
“Sorry for his wife or girlfriend. What could have made him so angry as to implicate our President in his vulgarity?” “And he had the audacity to say he is an attorney. Disrespectful to the noble profession.”
“[Name given] had a privileged upbringing. He was and still is considered an ‘Untouchable’. He should be sanctioned.”
“That fluent, shameless cussing sounds like part of his lifestyle.”
“A spoilt child for you. A terror to behold.”
“His older brother is a gentleman.”
“No one should speak to another person like that.”
“The Bar Association should sanction him.”
Now some of the comments about the policeman;
“THE OFFICER SHOULD BE PROMOTED FOR HIS DISCIPLINE AND PATIENCE”.
“I think that the young policeman felt intimidated after that outburst and he couldn’t assert himself after that.”
“The young officer gave him more respect than he deserved.” “The poor rank appeared castrated, even his voice became high pitched.”
“I think the police did or said something which triggered the response.”
“I have seen and heard police officers pulling drivers over and cussin’ them, rudely speaking to them, no patience etc.”
“If the police didn’t record him, he could have gone and made false allegations against police.”

“The police was deliberately mischievous to video the guy without his permission and posted it on Facebook again without his permission. The police broke the law.”

Some of the many comments which I have garnered from Facebook on this HOT TOPIC, will no doubt, be a matter engaging officialdom. It will be the watershed of how traffic police will function here in Guyana in the future. There seems to be many grey areas which need to be clarified. For example, the video recording of activities which are unfolding in the public domain. The need for Guyanese cops, especially those on beat duty and traffic duty, wearing body cameras. Many years ago, while on a visit to Jamaica, I was presented with a booklet which gave instructions to both police and civilians, how to react to each other in given situations. Maybe it is time for such a booklet to be published here in Guyana and made available to the police and civilians. The Police Public Relations Division has its work cut out for it.

Incidentally, it must be known that there is no law against photographing scenes and individuals which are in the public domain. Yes, there are circumstances when one should be courteous and seek permission, but that is not mandatory. I had that clarified in an interview which I had with Police Commissioner Laurie Lewis and that is why I won the case when I was detained at Aurora by the two (rogue) cops.

One of the comments on Facebook is that the attorney who had the recent face-off with the traffic policeman, should apologise. Fact is, the attorney has apologised for his outburst and offensive statements to the policeman; “I apologise for my language but I’m not sorry for questioning an arbitrary authority,” he stated and went on to say that he will be “defiant to any injustice” and made reference to police brutality in the United States. For sure, this issue will remain a “Hot Topic” for some time to come.

The attorney has since been charged with the following offences: prohibition of tinted glass, failure to produce driver’s license, driving an unfit vehicle, use of obscene language and riotous behaviour.

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