The year was 2003, at this point in my policing career, I was
assigned to the Biabou Police Station; I was a season police officer and have
already dealt with a wide verity of infractions, traffic and criminal offences
and have had assignment the length and breadth of the main land St. Vincent.
One of the police supervisors, who for reason unknown to me, developed a healthy confidence in my policing abilities, was Corporal Wendell
Wickham. Wendell Was assigned to the
Central Police Station (CPS) Beat and patrol; Wickham was a serious yet funny
supervisor; who have worked in a variety of departments and stations. He was
confident in his ability to do his job. Although Mr. Wickham is serious in his
official duties, he always finds some time to heckle others and no one was
immune to his heckling. While I was assigned to the Transport Section where my
main duties were driving; Cpl. Wickham, for some strange reason decided that his name for me was: Rambo. This was as a result of my general work ethic and my
attitude to work.
I had just return to the Biabou Police Station, from my
schedule day off and was about to get settled in to work the weekend, when I
got a call that I must get ready to report for duty at the Caliaqua Police
Station. I cannot remember what had happened at that Station that required me
to spend the weekend there however I had no say in the matter. This was so
because Superintendent Cornelius Charles had managerial control of the South
Western District of which Calliaqua and Biabou Police Stations was a part. My move
was within his control and those where his order.
On my arrival to the Calliaqua Police Station, I saw Cpl.
Wendell Wickham at the Calliaqua Police Station. He was in the station's office in uniform, on duty as the station officer. He
greeted me: Rambo, it was then he explained. I was asked to work at Calliaqua
Police Station for the weekend, and as they needed a driver I asked for you; hence the reason you are here. While I had no choice in the matter, Cpl. Wendell Wickham’s temporary assignment had to take some negotiation, because SOP Charles did not have managerial supervision over this cpl who were very vocal and adamant as to how he was used.
One of the things I noticed when I arrived at Calliaqua
Police Station, that I did not pay attention to before was; there were a lot of young police officer with one year of
less experience assigned at the Station. Among the police officers was Police Constable
(PC) 82 Cordell Campbell. I got to know Cordell when I was working at CPS, he
was fresh out of training school. I do not know what attracted this young man
to me, but he was always around asking questions. Uncle Palmer was what he
called me, at first I wondered if Cordell was the son of my brother who lived
and ran a business in the Mesopotamia where Cordell was from. However, I
remembered my little brother Jeremiah “Jerry” Cuffy also called me uncle P. For
Jerry that was his way of paying me homage, for my involvement in his life. As
a result, I took Cordell’s name as a mark of his respect for me.
It was Sunday morning; the weekend was running smoothly,
nothing out of the ordinary had happened thus far. I was in the kitchen with
some of the young guys just chatting. It was then Cpl. Wickham summoned me to
the station office, there he informed me of an incident that he wanted me to
attend. He told me to take some of the guys, whom he named and then he
dispatched me to deal with the incident. I have gone to and deal with countless incidents on
Cpl. Wickham’s instructions, most of the time I went solo. However, today I had
four young police officers including PC 82 Campbell on this mission. At this stage, PC Campbell was fresh
out of the police training school; and the most senior police of the lot had under two
years policing experience.
We were off to deal with an incident. There was a crazy man
in the Fair Hall area, who was throwing large stones into the residence glass
sliding doors and glass window. Our assignment was to apprehend that assailant,
and transport him back to the station. Where he will be dealt will as pa the
law and police policy; In this instant several things could happen to him, upon
apprehension; but we were going to do on of two things. We can take the assailant to the district medical doctor, we will inform the doctor, of the assailant's history of
mental illness, the district doctor will then evaluate him and cause him to be transported to and be further examined by and
committed to the Mental Health Center (the institution where people with mental
problem are house and treated) or we can take him to the court on Monday and
have the Magistrate determine his fate.
In this situation, because of the fact he had already committed
several crimes, his best bet will be, he will be kept in custody and taken before the
Magistrate at the most convenient time. The Magistrate will be made aware of the his mental history; the Magistrate will more than likely cause the assailant to be sent to the Mental Health Facility to be evaluated; upon completion of which, the magistrate will decide if he is fit to stand trial for his miss deeds. This decision was out of our hand at
this point, our responsibility, is to apprehend the assailant take him into
custody and put the community back at ease.
When we got to the area where the assailant had struck, I
notice there were lots of people in the road, they were all looking up onto the
ten feet bank that over looked the road; I also noticed that some of the people were pointing up. from our position in the transport, it was impossible to see onto the bank above. We
were just about to begin to solicit information from
the on lookers concerning the incident.
It was then I heard the impact, that sound like a stone smashing glass. Before I realized what have happened, or react to the situation we
were there to deal with; the scenario took a drastic turn. Now the police
had become the victim of a crime committed in the view of over forty people.
The assailant was standing on the bank located above the
road; he took a stone the size of a soccer ball and threw it into the driver
side windscreen of the police vehicle. Some of the splinters stocked me in my
face and immediately began to bleed. The guys though I was seriously injured,
and began to panic. At the top of their voice in a panic, they began to shout
Palmer lets go back to the station. I looked back and the only one who was not
shouting was PC 82 Cordell Campbell, however there was a look of serious concerned on his face. I calm the guys down and I told them don’t
worry about me, my injuries are not serious. Then in a less hysterical tone
they suggested that we return to the station.
I turn to the group of young inexperience police officers and
I said: look guys, we are police officer; it is our responsibility to protect
the community, that is what we are paid for. The community is in distress and
we cannot turn our backs on the people and run. We have an obligation to the
people to do all in our power to restore order to the community.
By this time, the Stone throwing crazy man had relocated. I
parked the damage vehicle and we all disembark, I said to the four guys, you
all stay together, go down that road if you see the assailant one of you come
back and get me. Do not attempt to apprehend him by yourself. If you don’t see
the crazy man return to the police vehicle. I informed then where I am going
and what I was going to do. I said to the other officers, I am going down this
road to look for the crazy man.
I knew that there is strength in numbers and the more of them
the more confidence the group will be. I also knew, if they saw I was willing
to go in pursuit of this mentally unstable man on my own; the four of them could
not back down.
Therefore, we parted ways with one mission to locate the man
who has been terrorizing the neighborhood. While I was walking down the side road,
someone passed and addressed me; the person called the assailant by his name
and said to me, he is down there. There was a house about forty feet away from
the road, down a grassy incline. On closer inspection, below the grassy incline was a wall, unpainted
split-level house. There was a man standing on the veranda that is a part of the split-level
house, there was another man standing at a partially ajar glass sliding door,
he had his body in the house and his head hanging out of the slide door, speaking
to the man that was standing on the veranda; there was also a woman and two
young girls at a window looking on. This is a common view in Small
communities where everyone knows everyone. Therefore, I made my way down the
little hill and over to the house, now I was close enough to get a clear view
of all the people at the house. I looked on the face of the children and I
notice they were afraid. So I knew that I have found the suspect.
I was not afraid but was very concerned; in St. Vincent and
the Grenadines, many people believe that a mentally ill person develops
superhuman strength and the ordinary person is no physical match for such a
person. I looked back but the other officers were not in sight. I know I have
to do this, I hate the feel of fear, and I love my self-respect; So I bravely
walked onto the poach, which was about ten feet from the top of the banister to
the grassy yard below. I took hold of the assailant by his arm, and I said to
him “come with me”. The crazy man pulled his hands away from me and when I gripped
his arm once again, he held on to me and we began to struggle. I held him and I
managed to push him into the wall and pinned him to the wall; however, the
mentally unstable fellow was still fighting back.
As a result, of the assailant’s continues resistance; I asked
the man in the house to help me put the hand cuff on to the suspect but he
stood in front of the door not changing his position from when I first saw him and he just look at the struggle. When I
realized the man in the house was not going to render any assistance, I turn my full focus back to the assailant. While looking up to the road to see if any of my
colleagues was in view.
As a result, the suspect continued to resist my efforts to
put the old rotary handcuff upon his hands; while trying to get away from me at
the same time. It was not too long before, my struggle to put the handcuffs
onto the suspect turned into a fight to prevent the suspect from escaping; to
prevent myself from getting injured and causing injury to the suspect also.
Most police officer often forget that they have an obligation, to the community
which includes a suspect, to ensure as little harm as possible come to any
person upon whom they are effecting an arrest.
The assailant and I fought with different objectives in mind,
he wanted to escape and I wanted to ensure that he did not escape, as well as,
to ensure that the suspect was properly restraint. As a result, of the ongoing
struggle, the assailant and I fell over the banister. We fell to the ground,
fortunately for me, I fell of the man who was somewhat bigger than the skinny police
officer that I was. I continue to tussle
with the suspect; I kept looking up to see if any of my colleagues were on their
way to render well-needed assistance.
Then, I saw the appearance of my four colleagues on the top
of the hill. I could not wave them over, because both of my hands were occupy, and
I was too exhausted to shout. I knew they saw me, but they were walking towards
me with no sense of urgency. I was never happier to see my colleagues, but it was just as if they were not there, because they were of no help. I was shocked, it was then I hear someone shout, “boy
its uncle Palmer”, and he began to run with full speed in my direction.
When he got to me, he rendered vital assistance; PC 82
Cordell Campbell cuffed the mentally unstable suspect. Then he said Uncle
Palmer are you OK. After the assailant were handcuffed, Cordell and I stood the
assailant up, to take him to the transport to be transported back to the station; After the assailant was taken in custody by PC 82 Campbell, was then the
others began to show some sense of urgency and started running to the scene of
the arrest.
A a few months later, I resigned my post with the St. Vincent
and the Grenadines Police Force after I was offered and accepted a job with the Bermuda Police Service; I later traveled to Bermuda and became a member of the Bermuda
Police Force. In November of 2004, I return home on two weeks vacations and I
was informed that the mentally unstable fellow, who we apprehended on that day,
was in prison facing a murder charge, because he later killed someone. I hope
it was not that fellow whose house he was about to destroy who refused to
render assistance to the police, in restraining the insane assailant when I asked
him for his help.
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