Woman clarifies story on alleged brutality

A young woman who has alleged brutality at the hands of the police is clarifying statements about the incident published in the SEARCHLIGHT in June this year.{{more}}

Nicole Harry, of Calliaqua, a vendor who operates a small business in the vicinity of the reclamation site, said that on Tuesday, June 10, 2008, she was allegedly slapped by a policeman.

SEARCHLIGHT’s June 13, 2008, article stated: “She asked a man who had been sitting on the bench next to her stall eating lunch to pick up the containers that he had left on the ground and to throw them in the garbage container, which he did.” According to Harry, the man was sitting under her stall, not next to it.

The article further stated “About five minutes later, Harry said she was talking to her cousin and she (the cousin) told her that the man was arguing and saying that it is government’s property and that she was not paying tax there”. The article said Harry turned to the man and said: “Government didn’t give me hammer and nail to build this.” Harry is asserting that she made that comment to her cousin, not the man.