One day after he made a report to the Police Complaints Authority alleging that he was beaten by police in Malabar, fire officer Jerome Phyars appeared in court yesterday charged with failing to submit to a breathalyser test.
The 29-year-old pleaded not guilty to the offence which allegedly took place on Thursday night.
Phyars was granted $25,000 bail or a cash alternative of $7,000 when he appeared before Magistrate Debby-Ann Bassaw, in the Arima Magistrates Court.
Phyars, who is attached to the Santa Cruz Fire Station, told the T&T Guardian following the court appearance that he was “just tired” and wanted to go home and rest. The case was then adjourned to July 3.
On Wednesday night, Phyars during a PCA town meeting at his workplace told the gathering of how he was allegedly beaten by police officers outside Pro Bar in Malabar.
The incident, which took place on Monday, was videotaped and went viral on Facebook.
Following the incident, he and two others were charged with resisting arrest and obscene language.
Phyars suffered injuries to his left eye, face, right arm, back and windpipe while another man who was not arrested, Bradley Caesar, 27, was left partially deaf in the left ear after allegedly being slapped by one of the lawmen.
Another man, Dawud Muhammed, 33, suffered injuries to his left eye, windpipe and lower back, while his sister Atiya, 27, who tried to intervene when her brother was allegedly being assaulted, was choked, cuffed and kicked before being dragged on the ground.
The PCA has launched an investigation into the assault claims.