Ryan Melendez - just over a week ago - he was pistol whipped by Sergeant Devon Makin on San Pedro. Since then, the commissioner has pronounced him, quote, "not an innocent person", and also described him as a fugitive.
Well, along with his attorney he quietly turned himself into San Pedro police this morning - only to find that - it's all a story. He is not wanted after all. Here's the report:
Ryan Melendez walked out of the San Pedro police station today without charges. Turns out, he is not wanted by police:
David McKoy, Attorney For Ryan Melendez
"As you can see Mr. Melendez is here with me. I brought him to the San Pedro police station as requested."
"He is not wanted, he is not a fugitive. He is a free man. There is no criminal offense that he has been instructed that will be levied on him. Anything of that sort. And so, you know, can rest assured that he is no longer wanted by police for any criminal offense."
This directly contradicts what the Commissioner and the Minister told the media on Friday:
Reporter
"So is he still then a fugitive on the run as you explained it earlier this week?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"As far as I'm concerned, yes."
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"The police are looking for him because there is an investigation from that angle."
But that is just not the case, and these public pronouncements to the contrary have served as threats to Melendez:
David McKoy, Attorney For Ryan Melendez
"I am of the view that the insidious comments that were made affected my client significantly because he doesn't even want to move or go anywhere because he is afraid that he would be captured because of the comments."
"But luckily, like I said, he is not wanted, he is a free man. And he has the liberty to go wherever he wants in this country of police and even outside if he wants as the constitution affords him. Honestly, we never had any information of what is it specifically is accused of. We just had circumstances which outlined that he apparently or allegedly was chasing minors. But we don't have any any concrete proof or I shouldn't even say proof, any concrete charge."
Melendez - in his complaint - has however indicated that he wishes for charges to be brought against Makin.
McKoy says his client plans to sue the commissioner for defamation. The commissioner claimed first that he was one of three men with masks chasing a group of minors, and then later claimed that he was part of the group that did it.
