REGIONAL Commander of Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Errol Watts, has emphasised that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) does not tolerate the use of excessive force by ranks in the execution of their duties.

In this regard, the police commander has highlighted that a rank attached to the Wales Police Station, West Bank Demerara (WBD), who was caught on video dragging a man into a cell, will be dealt with condignly once a thorough investigation into the matter is concluded.

“These videos that we are seeing, an investigation has been launched and a report will be submitted by Wednesday and whatever advice we receive as a result of this video will be implemented, because we don’t tolerate excess [sic] use of force in the Guyana Police Force,” Watts told the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday.

Watts was particularly upset with the latest video circulating on social media, especially since he visited various police stations in the region last week and conducted training on the use of excessive force.

“I have conducted inspections at all the police stations in Region Three, except Den Amstel and Leonora so far, and one of the topics that I discuss very extensively is the use-of-force continuum and not for us in the force to violate anybody’s rights by using more force than is necessary to deal with the situation,” he said.

“I was most astonished to see that video because my inspections started since last Monday and this is one of the topics that I have discussed; no force that is unnecessary ought to be used in any given situation, we have to use force that is commensurate with the threat at hand,” he added.

In the video, the rank can be seen placing a ‘handcuff’ on the feet of the man before yanking the ‘cuffs,’ causing the man to abruptly fall to the ground; the rank then dragged the civilian into a cell and locked the door.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that the male civilian in the video drove a car into a canal at Wales on Friday night and police officers, while on patrol duty, saw him covered in mud. When they questioned him, he revealed that he was the driver of the car in the canal.

It was reported that the officers consequently took the man and the vehicle to the Wales Police Station, where the driver was subjected to a breathalyzer test but he refused and became abusive and resistant to the ranks. Further, it was reported that the man was later released from police custody on the same night, after he too was assaulted by the cop. Watts promised that an official statement will be released by Police Headquarters, but up to press time, none was forthcoming.