bahamiangoddess
02-25-08, - 10:44 AM
CHAOS ERUPTS ON MILTON STREET
By BIANCA SYMONETTE, Guardian Staff Reporter, bianca@nasguard.com
What was supposed to be a peaceful gathering after the funeral of 17-year-old Ricko Farrington on Saturday suddenly turned violent when police were forced to draw their weapons to settle angry residents of Milton Street.
During the incident, which residents yesterday described as a "riot" and the police described as a "disturbance", four officers were injured and an unmarked police car — a 2008 Crown Victoria — was damaged. Four residents of the area were taken into police custody. According to relatives of the C.C. Sweeting Sr. High School student who was stabbed to death on the Oakes Field campus on February 11, the incident was apparently started by the sound of firecrackers that was mistaken for gunshots.
Family and friends of Farrington were gathered at the late 12th grader's home on Milton Street for a "setting up" — a tradition following Bahamian funerals — when officers from the Central Detective Unit arrived at the scene and wanted to know who was firing a weapon.
Farrington's relatives said this was when arguments erupted between officers and residents. Four people were arrested as a result.
According to police reports, officers responded to reports of gunshots being fired in the area of Milton Street, off East Street, around 8 p.m.
Asst. Supt. Walter Evans said that when police arrived at the scene, they saw a man who had a weapon. And when officers approached the man, said Evans, residents "obstructed" officers from carrying out their duties.
Milton Street resident Arlington Rolle gave The Guardian his version of how the events unfolded.
Rolle claimed that he saw three men hiding behind the home where Farrington lived and when he asked who they were they did not reply. The men were later determined to be police officers; however, as they were in plain clothes and allegedly did not identify themselves the residents became suspicious, he said.
"After they came from around the house they came out to the front where the party was and they grabbed my niece and another guy asking who shot the gun," Rolle claimed. "This is why things got out of control because the police started grabbing innocent people and harassing them."
Rolle also alleged that after a man the police were "holding" broke free, the officer turned on a woman and "body slammed" her in the street.
"As the police was shoving her, her clothes tear apart and she was practically naked with the police dragging her down the street," Rolle claimed. "Women were being slapped and others were being mistreated. Everyone was shocked for what was going on. This caused mobs of people to come out and the crowd got thick, and then after the crowd got thick the officer pointed his gun in the air and fired several shots," Rolle claimed.
He said that at this point the residents started attacking the officers in retaliation for bullying the woman.
"The girl saw her mom being bullied by the officer so she took a mop stick and started hitting the police, and so the police turned around, hit the young girl and dragged her into the police car," Rolle claimed.
During the incident, Rolle claimed that his son was hit by a stick from police and was also gun butted.
A great-grandmother said she was horrified and appalled by the way police officers ran into her home and threatened to fire their weapons.
Shirley Cleare, 68, said she was in her home and was unaware of what was taking place outside. But she said she soon realized that something was wrong when officers ran into her home with their guns drawn.
According to Cleare, the police used obscenities and said they were looking for a woman who was part of the disturbance taking place outside. However, Cleare said she had no idea the woman had run into her home and was hiding from the police.
"When I came out the bathroom I was greeted with these weapons in my face, and when my daughter said, 'no ya'll can't do this', one of the officers shouted, 'shut up you can't tell me what to do'. My grandson then told them that they can't come in the house and they told him if he don't shut up they would shoot him in his head. I was really concerned because my 10-month-old great-grandchild along with my grandchildren were in the house," Cleare claimed.
Another resident, Abigail Moss, described the incident as a "war zone".
"When the police started shooting everyone went running, screaming, trying to get to safety," Moss said. "People ran in neighbors' houses just to escape the bullets. Everyone was puzzled as to what was going on. We ran for our lives. They closed down the street. Police blocked the street and they took out their weapons. I was so afraid I thought someone would have been killed."
Catherine Hepburn, Farrington's aunt, said the incident was "out of control". She said her family was having a peaceful event.
When The Guardian visited Milton Street on Sunday, broken glass and rocks still lined the street. Residents also pointed to gun shells left on the ground, reportedly from the police weapons.
The Guardian attempted to put the residents' allegations to the police yesterday but Evans said he had only received a basic report of the incident.
Chief Supt. Mortimer, the officer-in-charge of the Quakoo Police Station that dealt with the incident, was not available yesterday.
The injured officers were taken to the hospital, where they were treated and released. Several residents of the area are being questioned in connection with the incident.
By BIANCA SYMONETTE, Guardian Staff Reporter, bianca@nasguard.com
What was supposed to be a peaceful gathering after the funeral of 17-year-old Ricko Farrington on Saturday suddenly turned violent when police were forced to draw their weapons to settle angry residents of Milton Street.
During the incident, which residents yesterday described as a "riot" and the police described as a "disturbance", four officers were injured and an unmarked police car — a 2008 Crown Victoria — was damaged. Four residents of the area were taken into police custody. According to relatives of the C.C. Sweeting Sr. High School student who was stabbed to death on the Oakes Field campus on February 11, the incident was apparently started by the sound of firecrackers that was mistaken for gunshots.
Family and friends of Farrington were gathered at the late 12th grader's home on Milton Street for a "setting up" — a tradition following Bahamian funerals — when officers from the Central Detective Unit arrived at the scene and wanted to know who was firing a weapon.
Farrington's relatives said this was when arguments erupted between officers and residents. Four people were arrested as a result.
According to police reports, officers responded to reports of gunshots being fired in the area of Milton Street, off East Street, around 8 p.m.
Asst. Supt. Walter Evans said that when police arrived at the scene, they saw a man who had a weapon. And when officers approached the man, said Evans, residents "obstructed" officers from carrying out their duties.
Milton Street resident Arlington Rolle gave The Guardian his version of how the events unfolded.
Rolle claimed that he saw three men hiding behind the home where Farrington lived and when he asked who they were they did not reply. The men were later determined to be police officers; however, as they were in plain clothes and allegedly did not identify themselves the residents became suspicious, he said.
"After they came from around the house they came out to the front where the party was and they grabbed my niece and another guy asking who shot the gun," Rolle claimed. "This is why things got out of control because the police started grabbing innocent people and harassing them."
Rolle also alleged that after a man the police were "holding" broke free, the officer turned on a woman and "body slammed" her in the street.
"As the police was shoving her, her clothes tear apart and she was practically naked with the police dragging her down the street," Rolle claimed. "Women were being slapped and others were being mistreated. Everyone was shocked for what was going on. This caused mobs of people to come out and the crowd got thick, and then after the crowd got thick the officer pointed his gun in the air and fired several shots," Rolle claimed.
He said that at this point the residents started attacking the officers in retaliation for bullying the woman.
"The girl saw her mom being bullied by the officer so she took a mop stick and started hitting the police, and so the police turned around, hit the young girl and dragged her into the police car," Rolle claimed.
During the incident, Rolle claimed that his son was hit by a stick from police and was also gun butted.
A great-grandmother said she was horrified and appalled by the way police officers ran into her home and threatened to fire their weapons.
Shirley Cleare, 68, said she was in her home and was unaware of what was taking place outside. But she said she soon realized that something was wrong when officers ran into her home with their guns drawn.
According to Cleare, the police used obscenities and said they were looking for a woman who was part of the disturbance taking place outside. However, Cleare said she had no idea the woman had run into her home and was hiding from the police.
"When I came out the bathroom I was greeted with these weapons in my face, and when my daughter said, 'no ya'll can't do this', one of the officers shouted, 'shut up you can't tell me what to do'. My grandson then told them that they can't come in the house and they told him if he don't shut up they would shoot him in his head. I was really concerned because my 10-month-old great-grandchild along with my grandchildren were in the house," Cleare claimed.
Another resident, Abigail Moss, described the incident as a "war zone".
"When the police started shooting everyone went running, screaming, trying to get to safety," Moss said. "People ran in neighbors' houses just to escape the bullets. Everyone was puzzled as to what was going on. We ran for our lives. They closed down the street. Police blocked the street and they took out their weapons. I was so afraid I thought someone would have been killed."
Catherine Hepburn, Farrington's aunt, said the incident was "out of control". She said her family was having a peaceful event.
When The Guardian visited Milton Street on Sunday, broken glass and rocks still lined the street. Residents also pointed to gun shells left on the ground, reportedly from the police weapons.
The Guardian attempted to put the residents' allegations to the police yesterday but Evans said he had only received a basic report of the incident.
Chief Supt. Mortimer, the officer-in-charge of the Quakoo Police Station that dealt with the incident, was not available yesterday.
The injured officers were taken to the hospital, where they were treated and released. Several residents of the area are being questioned in connection with the incident.