But the ComPol believes the police did not use excessive force in the incident, as he said that it was the civilians who assaulted the officers, not the other way around. He also said that the persons in the yard were blatantly breaking the law and have to be dealt with accordingly.
But he attacked Channel 7 for our story that aired on Tuesday. He claims - falsely - that we did not seek the police's side of the story. This, even though multiple requests for an interview was sent into the police media WhatsApp chat which the ComPol is very active in at 9:23 on Tuesday morning. It wasn't until 5:22pm that the communications officer, ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, said that had not received a report yet.
Still, the ComPol chastised Channel 7 today by saying stories like the one that aired Tuesday only encourage criminals.
Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
"I've seen over the past few days that Channel 7 has been going really hard at the police. The truth is if we do wrong, we're wrong but I think the campaign that Channel 7 is on in terms of trying to vilify the police I think those are things that fuel criminals to operate the way they are so while yes as a media you do have a responsibility to report things, I think that we need to be careful as to the angle that we take because the angle can make criminal believe that they can so what they want the media will support them. I'm assuming it's relating to the incident with the police who went to Caesar Ridge Road and the civilians were resisting arrest, sir, is there anything you can shed the clarity, the light on this issue? Well, I wish you would have asked me this."
Reporter
"We did ask the police sir."
Chester Williams
"I wish you would have asked me this before you aired the newscast that you aired because here you are, you have a man who is openly admitting to have been breaking the law, he said without any reservation that they were having a birthday party. Without reservation that so much people were at this birthday party and the police came. The police went there because the police have a mandate under the quarantine regulation to ensure that the provisions of the regulations that is put in place to keep all of us safe are adhered to. When a person breaks the law, it is the duty of the police to respond. And when the police got there, the police were attacked. What must the police do? Must they stay there and allowed themselves to be beaten and gun taken away and have them killed? Or must they do what needs to be done to protect themselves and to protect others? I honestly believe having seen the video that the police officers who responded exercised great restraint in the circumstances but yet still Channel 7 had the audacity to say that the police officers were at it again. Why? We are seeing that the COVID 19 virus is spreading more, the numbers coming out from the Ministry of Health is increasing. As police officers, we cannot take a nonchalant approach in enforcing the regulations. We have to be stern and when people break the law and expect that the police must come with powder and lotion to lotion and powder them, that should not be the case. You break the law; you expect the police to come and humble themselves in front of you? What kind of society is that? It needs to be changed."
