It's a tale that has been told over and over again: police detaining persons for questioning, but the questions come from the end of a baton or the barrel of a gun, or in extreme cases from the tip of a live electrical wire. A decade ago, such reports were commonplace in the police department, but in the age of zero tolerance, such reports have been few. But tonight, we have a story of the kind of torture you'd more readily associate with Abu Ghirab prison in Iraq.
38 year old Burrell Boom resident George Borden claims that last weekend he suffered all these and more at the hands of rogue policemen in Sandhill. He was hauled in by police who were seeking a stolen water pump and an outboard engine.
George Borden, Alleged Police Brutality
"They took me to the station and when they took me to the station they put me to sit down on a bench inside the station. And they started to beat me up with their hands and a stick. After a while one of them went and got a napkin and put it in my mouth. They then taped my mouth shut and they tied both of my hands. They also tied my two feet and they then threw three gallons of water over my body. Next they shoved three wires in two electrical outlets and they electrocuted my whole body and then they just continued beating me. I begged them to please leave me alone because I know nothing. I told them that I did know anything or I would have told you guys so I wouldn't have to go through this kind of treatment. I said honest to God I don't know anything about this machine you guys talking about so please leave me alone. They said yes you do know so talk! They then pushed a gun into my mouth and they said talk or we will kill you. I still said I know nothing. They took the gun from out of my mouth and he emptied the barrel with the exception of one bullet. And he put it to my temple and snapped it until the one with the bullet came up and then he moved it from my head. He went and got a clipboard and a pen for me to write a suicide note. I refused and he shocked me more. They then brought a knife and dared me to attack them so they can shoot me. I refused. They gave me a machete and I dropped that as well. I said I am innocent so there is no reason to treat me like this. They brought me a big bottle of one barrel rum with coke and told me to take a drink. I said no because whenever I drink liquor it makes me nervous. He said I have to and then he started to punch and kick me up. My feet are broken down there. My eyes are red and hurting. My face is swollen. I have been trying for days to get to this hospital."
"I ain't making this up. This is real man. This is real."
Borden says that once he gets on his feet, he'll take up his case to the Ombudsman and the Internal Affairs Department.