Another day, another allegation of police brutality. One woman faced off against several officers on Tuesday night. She was thrown about like a rag doll, clubbed in the mouth with a gun, and then detained without being allowed to visit a hospital.
The incident started after the police were called during a domestic dispute at the victim's aunt's house. The victim then got into an altercation with the other residents of the home, who then chased her onto Mahogany Street.
The police followed and did not hold back on wrestling 26-year-old Aretha Hamilton to the ground and forcibly handcuffing her.
Courtney Menzies spoke with the victim just as she was released from custody and has this story.
These are a woman's screams as she is held down and allegedly beaten by police officers. After that beating, 26-year-old Aretha Hamilton was then taken to the police station and detained for 48 hours.
This was Tuesday night, after Hamilton was reportedly being pursued by a woman with a machete. She never expected to be attacked twice in one night, and by a police officer, no less.
Aretha Hamilton - Victim of Police Brutality
"I start struggling with the sister with machete, I don't know where the mobile came from, I just realised the officer snatch me from around my neck. When he snatch me around my neck I tried to release his hand from my neck because it's like he want choke me out. And he takes out his gun and gun butt me in my mouth and made my teeth drop out. So, I explained, you are pulling me? I'm the wrong person. They are the two persons who came to attack me. He is still manhandling me and I'm struggling with him on the ground for him to release me because I can't catch my breath. He is still knocking me, end up taking the same machete and point it at my throat. Then he turns around saying that I assault him, that I assault him with the machete but he took the machete and put it at my throat."
And under the pretext that she was assaulting a police officer, the other officers surrounded Hamilton and tried to arrest her, injuring her in the process.
Aretha Hamilton
"The moment when they had me down on the ground ma'am, the only thing that I was doing is struggling with them to make them get from over me, they were kneeing me in my throat, kneeing me in my belly, next one was trying to bend my hand backwards to try and handcuff my hand because I was trying to pull it away and asking them, why are you trying to take me for? I didn't do anything, you met me defending myself. And they made the two target gone who came to hurt me. Why they want to take me because when my family come I said he knocked me in my face with the gun, I will charge him. And because I said then he made a false allegation saying I pull a weapon on him, if I pulled a weapon on him he would have shot me."
Several officers wrestled the woman into handcuffs and dragged her away to the police station, without first allowing her to seek medical attention.
Aretha Hamilton
"My back teeth come out when he knock me in my face with the gun, the handcuff, they black and blue me when they were beating me on the ground, injured my leg"
Courtney Menzies
"And they locked you up for 48 hours."
Aretha Hamilton
"Yes ma'am and when the took me the Tuesday night, they took me without an attention, they didn't take me to the hospital or anything until the other day when a W[PC] meet me with no slippers, no mask, no shirt at the police station. She said that is not right."
It was not until the next day that Hamilton's wounds could have been treated. The medical officer certified those injuries as grievous harm. He also requested that she get X-rays done, which she has not done yet since she claims the officers would not let her. For the time being, she must remain on medication.
Aretha Hamilton
"This is for the pain because when they took me the Tuesday I was in bad pain and they weren't paying me any attention, I end up bawling in the station so they could know I was in pain and they paid me no mind, left me there till the morning. This is for the pain and this is for my mouth so it doesn't get infected because they had me back there without cleaning my mouth."
Hamilton was just released from police custody today. She is planning to report the matter to the Professional Standards Branch.
The aunt involved in the domestic dispute sustained a cut wound and is now asking for police assistance to return to her home to get clothes and other supplies for her children, who only left their home with the clothes on their backs.
The common-law went to court this morning on charges relating to the dispute.
