So, why did the police hold Alfonso Noble for those 80+ hours, instead of sending him home after taking his written statement? That’s what we asked the South Side Police Commander, Chester Williams. He told us that in this instance, police were simply being extra careful; nothing else factored in. Here’s how he explained it:
Jules Vasquez
"Was he singled out for detention because he's a well-known UDP mouthpiece?"
ACP. Chester Williams - Commander Southside
"What the police were interested in first and foremost was to do things the right way and to do it by the books. We did not want to have any misstep in the investigation, we didn't want to blunder with the investigation and it is not unprecedented that a person is kept in custody after an accident, this has been done before. The police would normally issue NIP in circumstances where it is difficult to ascertain what may have occurred on the scene so the police investigation process will take a little while longer, so the police would normally do that. But from the police investigative view they are of the belief that a certain person may have been at fault, the police can proceed and prefer charges immediately without issuing an NIP and in this case that is exactly what we did and Mr. Noble I can tell you was not singled out because he is affiliated with any political party and he understand what it is we were doing, I explained to him the process and I must say that he cooperated in terms of how he was -- his entire behaviour towards the investigation as well as at the police station I must say was very good and the process I explained to him and he understood."
We also asked him about Noble’s refusal to provide a specimen. As you saw in our interview, his attorney said that he refused to give blood, but he was not asked to give urine for testing. Well, Chester Williams says that his officers asked for both, and he refused to give them both:
Jules Vasquez
"Are your officers able to say he refused to give a specimen, his attorney said today for religious reasons? Are you able to say if your officers perceived that Mr. Noble appeared intoxicated?"
ACP. Chester Williams - Commander Southside
"I don't know where Mr. Panton normally gets his things from but that is his defence. The law does provide that the police may request blood or urine specimen and that was done so even if as Mr. Panton is saying for religious reasons he did not want to extract blood; religion does not stop you from peeing and that's the alternative that we have other than extracting blood and both processes were refused by Mr. Noble in relation to the investigation."
Jules Vasquez
"Did he appear inebriated? Was he under the influence?"
ACP. Chester Williams - Commander Southside
"I was on the scene, I'm not a doctor, I cannot say whether or not he was drunk as the casw maybe but I can say that he spoke well but being actually drunk and legally drunk is two different thing."
Jules Vasquez
"How would you characterise someone in an accident who refuses to give a specimen, would you call them a non-cooperation, would you say they are trying to side step the law?"
ACP. Chester Williams - Commander Southside
"Well the truth is that is his right, he has a right to refuse and the law structured in a way that the police cannot compel you to give no specimen, you do that if you want. However the law does make provision that where you refuse to provide a specimen then you're presumed to be drunk so the burden nows shift on him to prove to the court that he was not under the influence and that was not the reason why he refused to provide a specimen that is something that Mr. Panton will have to craft to the court to convince the court."
Email
Print