And in that same San Ignacio station...a corporal was charged with harm and sexual assault on February 20th.
It's a story that the police kept under wraps, but tonight the details and shocking video of the assault are being revealed by 7News.
The video shows 28 year old Acting Corporal Durman Dawson emerge from behind the counter at the station and then sexually assaulting a woman constable by grabbing her from behind and fondling her breasts - in plain view of other officers and the station surveillance cameras.
When she fought to take his hand off her, and slapped him in the face, Dawson then struck the constable across her head. She spun to confront him - and he raised his hand to slap her again. That's when other officers patiently intervened and sent him about his business.
This happened on February 14th, and 6 days later Dawson was charged with 1 count of harm and 1 count of sexual assault.
He's been placed on interdiction - but is someone who exhibits such behavior even fit to work in the police Department? That's what we asked the commissioner today:
Jules Vasquez
"This happened in the same San Ignacio station you praised so highly. This officer has been charged for sexual assault and harm. My question is, can someone who exhibits public behaviour of this type in front of other officers, can that person even be a police officer?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Jules, if you would sit in my conference, you would know what my reaction was when I saw that. I found that video to be extremely disgusting and troubling. And right away upon seeing it, I gave directive that the police corporal, be arrested and charged and interdicted from duty."
"And my exact words were this, I'm going to tell you. I'm just going to remove the profanities. That we are in an organisation where men believe that this is a man's job. We have gone beyond that now. This is no longer a man's job. It is a job for both men and women. And as male or as men in this organisation, we must respect our women counterparts."
Jules Vasquez
"But sir, this is not a video that you all put out. You all not even mentioned the charge. It's something that I found out on my own. So I'm saying that first, there is an indication that you wish to cover up a gross violation of professional ethics. But second, I asked the question, can someone like this even serve in the police department?"
"I know he's a friend of yours, sir."
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"No, no, no, no, no, no, please stop yoh rrrrrrrr. No, I don't even. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. pat your brakes. I don't know who is Durman Dawson. I don't know who he is. Ok so please, pat your brakes."
"Everything to everybody that happened, you want to say is my friend okay. That's crumptious meal that you have spit it out because it is not so. Now as I have said before and I don't know where you get the notion from that we're trying to cover up something. If there was an intent to cover up do you think the man would have been charged immediately yes or no?"
Jules Vasquez
"No."
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"if there was an intent to cover up do you think that he would have been interdicted immediately yes or no?"
Jules Vasquez
"Sir the evidence is such the evidence is such. No sir I don't think so."
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"So then where the hell are you coming from with us trying to cover up something when we did everything that we could have done legally and even went beyond."
Jules Vasquez
"Report on it to the public."
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Jules Vasquez, the sources you have within police are more impeccable than the commissioner or the press office. They feed you everything. There is nothing that you could cover up in a police right now."
Jules Vasquez
"Is he fit to continue in a police department?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"That will be a decision to be made by the tribunal when they hear the matter or if he's convicted by in the courts, certainly he will have to go."
