The female Special Reserve Police officer charged for allegedly assaulting a wheelchair-bound man has been released from police custody after being granted $15,000 bail on Friday night. But Tamika Phillip’s male colleague was charged with misbehaviour in public office only late yesterday and up to last night was trying to secure his bail at the San Fernando Police Station.
Both SRPs were arrested and charged after a video showing them allegedly abusing wheelchair-bound Robby Ramcharitar, 46, surfaced on Facebook last week. The video shows a man in plain clothes and a woman in a police uniform assaulting the man. The incident took place on December 27 along High Street, San Fernando. Both SRPs were interviewed at the police station by detectives of the Professional Standards Bureau on Friday.
Phillip was charged with assaulting Ramcharitar and maliciously damaging a car parked along High Street, San Fernando. Police sources said a Justice of the Peace granted her $10,000 bail on the assault charge while she was granted $5,000 on the other charge. Her colleague was expected to be granted bail last night, but both SRPs will have to appear before a San Fernando magistrate tomorrow to answer the charges.
Eyewitnesses claimed that Ramcharitar was cursing the officers at the time of the incident, but he has denied this and has retained the services of attorney Rekha Ramjit to sue the SRPs and the State.