Man claims he was badly beaten by police officer
A badly beaten Bequia man has alleged that he was beaten by a member of the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force.
Clutching his swollen face, Shimroy Stowe appeared before the Kingstown Magistrateâs Court on Wednesday, charged with assaulting a police officer.
However, when the 33-year-old Stowe spoke to SEARCHLIGHT after he was granted bail, he said he was the victim, not the aggresor in an incident that took place on Tuesday, August 9, as he made his way to Port Elizabeth, Bequia.{{more}}
During the interview, SEARCHLIGHT observed that Stoweâs face was swollen, he had dried blood on his shirt, his shoulder and elbow were bruised, his lip was burst and he complained about pains in his jaw and the back of his head.
An injured Stowe said when he was arrested, officers told him that they would have taken him to the hospital, but there was no doctor there. He says instead he was given Paracetamol and on Tuesday night he requested to be taken to the hospital after complaining about pains.
He noted that up to the time he appeared in court on Wednesday, he had not been taken to a hospital.
On Wednesday, Stoweâs lawyer Grant Connell told the court that his client is in excruciating pain from the beating he allegedly received and asked that he sign his own bail, so that he could tend to his injuries at the hospital.
Officers in court laughed as Connell described the condition of his client, who limped to the defendantâs box.
The police prosecutor made no objection to Stoweâs bail; however, he asked for reporting conditions.
Stowe was granted $2,000 bail and the matter was adjourned and transferred to Bequia for August 25, 2016. (AS)
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