Foul-mouthed cop in death threat rant under probe

The Kingston Central policeman yanked from frontline duty for threatening to kill any resident caught with an illegal gun “is the subject of a wider enquiry”, the Independent Commission of Investigation (INDECOM) has said.

That revelation was made Thursday by Hamish Campbell, assistant commissioner of INDECOM, the watchdog agency that probes complaints against the security forces.

“INDECOM is aware of this particular video, which is currently circulating on social media. The concerned officer has been identified ... ,” Campbell told The Gleaner.

INDECOM has also communicated with the Inspectorate and Professional Standards Oversight Bureau (IPROB) regarding the incident.

“The public is entitled to expect all officers to conduct themselves with respect, civility, and tolerance. These are issues which have been identified by INDECOM, in quarterly reports as recently as 2021, regarding police interactions with citizens and expected behaviour,” Campbell said.

Newly installed commander of the Kingston Central Police Division, Superintendent Berrisford Williams, told The Gleaner that he has seen the video and the officer in question was informed of the decision Thursday morning.

The 30-second amateur video has gone viral on social media.

The cop’s rant was recorded by a resident while a police party conducted an arrest..

“… I want catch one a unnu wid no b***c***t gun and see if mi nuh kill unnu in front a camera,” the policeman, who has not been identified, was heard saying.

After being told by the resident that he was being video-recorded, the cop insisted that he was unafraid of any consequences. He also uttered anti-gay and other expletives.

Williams disclosed that the police have commenced an investigation into the incident.

The rank of the accused cop has not been revealed, nor is it clear whether the police were on a planned operation.

“All of that we hope to ascertain in our investigation,” Williams said.

andre.williams@gleanerjm.com