Last week, we told you all about the political blowback from that elections scuffle between Police Constable Alicia Trapp and PUP's Julius Espat in Teakettle Village.
As we've reported, the two had a testy encounter, and, depending on which of them you ask, the other person was verbally aggressive. Shortly after the hard words, however, PC Trapp famously went live on Facebook to accuse Espat of inappropriate and disrespectful behavior. She also made a formal police report alleging that the PUP parliamentarian abused her. According to her attorney, Trapp has complained that Espat "verbally and physically attacked" her. She claims Espat allegedly berated her verbally and pointed out that she was violating the rules of the police department by showing allegiance to the UDP village council slate.
Espat has categorically denied the allegations, insisting that the female Constable lied. He has gone as far as to instruct his lawyer to demand that both Trapp and her attorney retract their defamatory statements against him.
Police have had a little over a week to track down the many witnesses who were at the Village Council Elections, and they've determined that Constable Trapp, not Espat, should be the one who is criminally charged.
And for the very first time that we have seen, this comes in the form of a letter that Police Commissioner Chester Williams wrote to Constable Trapp's attorney, 'OJ' Elrington.
In that letter, dated today, the Commissioner says quote, "The investigator has since recorded a number of statements from eyewitnesses who do not support the version of events as outlined by your client in her statement. In fact, the statements from the witnesses are suggesting that it was your client who was the aggressor, pointing her hands in the face of Hon. Espat. The assertions of these witnesses are supported by a number of photographs depicting her action." End quote.
As we showed you last week, a picture depicting what the Commissioner describes in his letter was shared with our newsroom. When we asked attorney OJ Elrington about it, he suggested that one frame could be taken out of context.
In his letter, the Commissioner says that all of the evidence points to Trapp being the aggressor.
The Commissioner concludes hisby saying quote, "There is no iota of evidence to suggest that your client was assaulted by Hon. Espat. It is therefore clear that the only assault committed was upon Hon. Espat by your client. Thus, your client is to be arrested and charged with the crime of Common Assault committed upon Hon. Espat." End quote.
Apart from that criminal charge, Constable Trapp is facing an internal investigation. That could lead to disciplinary charges for violating the Department's social media policy. She and her attorney must also contend with Julius Espat and his attorney over the issue of defamation of character.
