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75-year-old man says GSU mistreated him

Features75-year-old man says GSU mistreated him

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Aug. 11, 2016–Winfield Garnett, a Southside septuagenarian born in September of 1941, was treated like a common thug allegedly at the hands of the Gang Suppression Unit (GSU).

According to the 75-year-old Pen Road resident, when he arrived home on Monday morning the GSU was conducting a search of a property in the yard where he lives.

He was ordered to wait outside the yard, but a few minutes later, he told 7News, he was ordered to kneel down with his hands on his head, along with several young men.

Garnett complied, but according to him, he was being verbally abused by an officer and when he responded without any obscene or disrespectful language, he was flogged across the buttocks.

Garnett said that he immediately jumped up, and with his hands he shielded his face from an officer positioning himself to deliver more blows to him.

Garnett said that one of the officers, in a statement he made to one of his colleagues, purported this simple act of self-protection to be an indication that Garnett “wanted to fight with him.”

It is unclear what transpired thereafter, but Garnett’s chain, valued at $750, was ripped from his neck, and his shirt was torn. While he wants his chain repaired by police, Garnett is demanding a new shirt from the GSU boss because he says, “old bring new.”

Garnett, who complained of pain in all parts of his body, went to the Racoon Street Police Station for a medical form, and he said he waited there for an extended period and felt pushed around.

According to Garnett, when he went to the Professional Standards Branch of the Police Department to make a complaint of this incident, no one was found inside. He was reportedly told that when those officials returned, they would give him a call.

When Amandala contacted the Gang Suppression Unit, the officers there refused to comment and instead directed us to the office of Fitzroy Yearwood, police press officer, who told Amandala he was on leave.

Yearwood then directed us to his assistant, WPC Rashiela Alvarez, who told Amandala that she was unaware of the details of the incident. WPC Alvarez then directed us to the Professional Standard Branch of the police, where we were told that the three persons assigned to that branch had been out of office for almost one month, as they were conducting investigations in the field.

ACP Chester Williams told Amandala that Garnett had not reported the matter to him, and as a result, he could not provide a detailed comment.

Amandala will continue to press for answers in relation to the rough treatment of the senior citizen.

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