Viral Video Shows Police Pistol-Whipping Man During Arrest

Commissioner of Police Chester Williams has weighed in on the controversial video capturing a police officer striking a man with his pistol during a confrontation. On Friday, police were called to the home of 46-year-old Juana Salam in Maya Centre Village, Stann Creek. Salam told police that her son, Jonathan Rodriguez, was holding a knife to his younger brother’s throat. When officers arrived at the scene, they encountered Rodriguez at the entrance to the home. According to police reports, Rodriguez denied the accusation and responded aggressively, saying, “You see me with any knife den?” A confrontation then ensued and led to one of the officers hitting Rodriguez in the face with a pistol while another officer hit him in the face. The officers then tried to subdue Rodriguez while he attempted to shove them away and resist arrest. The officers eventually restrained Rodriguez and handcuffed him before taking him into custody. The video footage of the incident, which has since gone viral, has sparked concerns from many in the public domain, who say the police acted recklessly. However, today, William stated that while the video shows what appears to be excessive force, the officers’ actions were taken in the interest of preventing a potentially deadly situation.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “The police were called to the house by those persons who live there. The information is that the young man in question had threatened I think his sister with a knife. Police went there and as you can see in the video that is circulating that the police asked the young man where the knife was and he said which knife and then he as if he made a move as if he was going to stand up to the police and the police hit him with a view to put him back in his place. And then the corporal who was there also seeing that he was still trying to raise up again the corporal also hit him. Now, I would be the first to admit that maybe to some extent the force used by the police may have been a bit excessive but at the same time we have to be real and look at the situation the police found themselves in. Even when the police were asking him for the knife he said which knife but after the police hit him and he moved a bit to the right the knife was right there under him. You saw when the corporal eventually picked up the knife off the bed which means that he had the knife and despite being asked he said which knife. And he could have at any time taken out that knife and used it even against the police who went there. So in the instance I’m not going to kill the police for what took place. While I believe the force may have been a bit excessive I think that they acted reasonably in trying to deal with the situation that confronts them and I discussed that matter in conference this morning with PSB and so they’re looking at it. His arm was not dislocated by the police and efforts have also been made to record statements from him and he is not cooperating. His family is not cooperating either and again at the end of the day the police went to that house to deal with a situation that could have perhaps resulted in the death of somebody and so I can’t kill them. Honestly I don’t see, no.”

Williams noted that the family is not cooperating with the police.