This evening after 3, our news team was called out to the corner of Prince and Plues Street where another case of alleged police brutality was occurring.
The area was cordoned off, and a joint operation of police and BDF officers had descended on the area in pursuit of 4 men who were allegedly a part of an armed robbery at Paula's Store on Cemetery Road.
Police say that they recovered 2 firearms during the detention of these men. That's major, but the residents of Plues Street weren't impressed: they were complaining how the police went about doing their job.
Here's what the scene looked like when we arrived:
Daniel Ortiz reporting
The 3 storey house at #2 Plues Street became the scene of a sudden police blockage, where more than 20 officers swarmed the area in an attempt to detain 5 men.
Police were there investigating an armed robbery that happened an hour earlier – but the officers made every attempt to shield themselves from the camera – when we arrived, we could hear their screams, which was a very telling indicator of what was being done to them.
Minutes later, more police vehicles arrived, and when the men were finally brought out of the house, they were fully secured in handcuffs, after which an impromptu police motorcade carted them off.
But the residents of Plues Street are angry at the behavior of the police for what they say is brutality, and for the blatant destruction of the home belonging to Ms. Carol Vivas.
Voice of: Angry Neighbor, eyewitness
"I saw the police men came from down the lane and start to chase a couple young men. I am not sure if it's the young men that they met in the yard. They just met two young men in the yard and brought then to my neighbor's house for no reason. My neighbor and I were chilling at the street side. She wanted to know what happen, the police men told her to come out of the house because it was not any concern with her. They just start to ransack the place saying that they were looking for weapons and for some men who committed a crime."
"The way how the police men acted is like they have no love for society and people on a whole. I just want the media show exactly what the policemen are doing and how they are brutalizing people without any mind."
Reporter
"So, they chased several young men up into the house, took them to the 3rd floor and started to beat them and ransack the place?"
Voice of: Angry Neighbor, eyewitness
"Yes sir, meanwhile they were being beaten the whole neighborhood and even the news people could clearly hear that the young men balling when the police taser the young men. They asked the police to please stop because they don't know what they were talking about."
"The police came and didn't show nothing to the camera that they found. So more than likely they didn't find anything. If they say that they found anything is because the brought it because the came with bags in their hands. All the police officers came with tasers, gun and bags in their hands - for what reason, only they know and still cannot say what they are looking for and what they want. At least 4-5 police trucks came to terrorized people life that is not troubling anybody and not a problem to society."
Reporter
"How many officers total did you see?"
Voice of: Angry Neighbor, eyewitness
"At least 25-30 officers."
Reporter
"The break down the front door and....?"
Voice of: Angry Neighbor, eyewitness
"Yes, as what we showed everybody that they break up the place for no reason. All what they do is come into people place to terrorized people's lives. It shows like everybody are criminals - all your best neighbors. Nobody is criminals in our neighborhood."
Reporter
"These persons that they took don't live here are this residence?
Voice of: Angry Neighbor, eyewitness
"No sir, but some of them come to the neighborhood to visit their relatives to time. It's just people that they don't see in the neighborhood everyday so more or less they say that they are the criminals. As they see a strange face - they are criminals. Everybody who looks strange and has are sagging their pants and have corn rows in their heads are criminals to the police."
Reporter
"How many men totally would you say they took?
Voice of: Angry Neighbor, eyewitness
"About 3-4 of them including my two blood relatives and I don't like what the police did to them that's why I am talking personal because I heard when they were balling when the police tasered them and I can't help them. It's like they have us in prison in our own society - in our own neighborhood we are in prison."
The 4 men detained by police where it is expected that charges for robbery and firearms offences will be laid against them
Police say that when they searched the house where these men were hiding, they found a .38 revolver which was loaded with 4 live rounds of ammunition, and .357 revolver which was loaded with 6 live rounds of ammunition.
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