And while he had no tolerance for PC Marin, what about Inspector Christopher Martinez, who is currently being investigated for physically assaulting a detainee? The victim reportedly shot up his house, and Martinez decided to take matters into his own hands when the suspect was detained.
Yesterday we told you that - despite his criminal trial pending in court - Martinez was approved to go before the promotions board - to be interviewed for a possible promotion to the post of ASP.
The compol bristled when we asked him about it yesterday.
But today on Sunup - he wasn't so harsh when we asked him if Inspector Martinez is his nephew:
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Under the promotion rules, there is nothing to preclude a person who has not yet been convicted of either a criminal or disciplinary charge from applying and appearing before the promotion board. When these people appear before the board, it's just to do an interview and more than 90% of those persons who come before the promotion board are not promoted so it's not because you come before a promotion board, it means that you are automatically promoted, that's not the case because we only promote the people who will be filling the vacancies that we have so for example we had I think over 40 inspectors who went before the board for interview to become ASP and we only have vacancies for 8. So at the end of the day 40 of them will not be promoted, only 8 will be promoted. So again, let's say hypothetically the person who has a matter before the court pending or before a tribunal pending would pass that interview, that person's passing grade will be held in abeyance until that court process or internal disciplinary process is concluded. He would not be considered for promotion until that matter is concluded. If he fails then that's the end of it, so it's just a matter of complying with the rules of promotion because if you don't follow the rules let's say down the road he is acquitted of the charge before the court, he can then bring a claim to say that he was deprived of the opportunity for promotion by refusing him to go before the board so to make sure you have all ducks in a row, you allow the process to take its course."
Courtney Menzies:
"In that duration, how is it that he is allowed to carry out his duties as opposed to being on some type of leave?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"It is not rare, we so have many times, we don't interdict for anything per se, there is certain things we interdict for, and there's certain things we don't."
Courtney Menzies:
"But as a police officer, how can the citizens trust him if he's charged with physically harming someone else?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Well, it's obviously not a thing that you can say is a tendency because he has been in the department for so many years and after that one incident there has been none so we're just waiting for the court process to finish and we'll see how the matter goes from there."
Courtney Menzies:
"Sir there are reports that this inspector is a relative of yours, your nephew and maybe that's why he's still employed."
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"He's not my nephew, he is a relative of mine but that has nothing to do with it because when the matter occurred I made sure that he was charged and the process takes its course."
Sunup repeats after the news tonight.
