Chaguanas resident Junior Nesbitt, whose photo went viral on several social media websites after he was alleged to be a suspect in gang violence in central Trinidad, is accusing the police of terrorising him and his family.
He made the allegation yesterday after he was released from police custody on Monday night following his arrest over the weekend in Enterprise.
Nesbitt, who is a member of the Muslim community, denied allegations against him and said he and his family attempted to make complaints against the police but were turned away at several police stations in the Chaguanas community. They said they would now be taking their complaints to the Police Complaints Authority.
Nesbitt was arrested at his home and taken to the Cunupia Police Station on Saturday, soon after Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had visited the community and announced a joint army-police presence would be established to curb gang violence.
But when the T&T Guardian visited Nesbitt at his home at Walters Trace, Enterprise, yesterday, he was busy cleaning the makeshift tent in front of his house for the Salat.
The house, which is in a cul-de-sac, was blocked off with drums and old furniture in both directions. He took his time sweeping and putting down a piece of carpet for members of his fraternity to use. He then went and changed his clothing, putting on a black taj.
Nesbitt said when he was taken into police custody and questioned in connection with the video circulating on social media, the police clearly had nothing new on him.
“They (police) persecuting people and that is an old picture since 2010. One officer who come here say he come from town to harass us. I don’t have no warrants and I don’t have nothing on me,” Nesbitt said, reiterating that the photos circulated of himself and other men in the community were over five years old.
He claimed one photo which bore someone resembling him was sent to members of the Prisons Service who were told to “look out for him.”
“Some of them men in those photos not around, some still in jail and serving time for that. There was a photo of another man that is going around but that isn’t me,” he said.
He said the same morning the photos surfaced the police came to visit them.
“This is a different tent. Whole day they coming. I was told by my lawyer not to speak with the media,” he added.
Nesbitt’s father, Dave, said their family would now be taking their complaints to the PCA.
He added: “They lambasting his name and have old photos of him. We will sue... They (police) pick him up and take him to Cunupia.
When questioned about allegations made that his son was a hired shooter, he said his son had been nursing gunshot injuries after being shot during that time.
“Oh no, oh no, oh no... if he was a gangster they (police) would have come already. He was on crutches (in 2010),” he added.
He said the police did not assist his son and he had to pay $11,000 to go to a hospital to remove the bullet from his leg in 2010.
Dave Nesbitt said even his former wife was threatened near her Chase Village home as a result of the current situation.
“We know everybody in the photos and they (police) deal with that five years ago. They get all that already,” he said.
When questioned why the road was blocked to the house, one of the men said: “That is to block the police and gunmen from coming.”
Another member of the community said they were living in fear for their lives.
“We are all going on about our lives but when you have no control you just forget it. People still coming out to do their business but that has dropped near 20 per cent with the shootings,” he said.
Nesbitt’s attorney, Rekha Ramjit, who is the Independent Liberal Party’s (ILP) chairman, was not available for comment.