A man who defecated then used the excrement to fend off police officers trying to arrest him, says the officers whose warning shot he had ignored — acted inappropriately when they shot him some time later.
It was the second time since 2014 that Bernard Shallow was using his excrement to help him evade the law.
The 49-year-old Kingstown resident, who is also known as “Doctor” and “Copper Shot”, is at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, nursing the gunshot injuries he sustained during the ordeal last week Thursday, Nov. 22.
On Monday, Shallow, who is originally of Barrouallie, told iWitness News that Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett, in September, granted him bail in his own recognisance in relation to a theft-related charge.
As part of the bail condition, Shallow was ordered to report to police in Kingstown on Mondays and Friday.
He was also ordered to reappear before the magistrate on Nov. 1.
However, he failed to do so.
Shallow told iWitness News that he did not attend court on Nov. 1, because his right hand was swollen.
He said that later that day, police officers went to Rose Place and told his friend that he had missed his court date.
The officers further told the people there that they will return to look for him, Shallow told iWitness News.
He, however, said that the officers never returned, neither did he attend court.
He said that last Thursday, the police officer who distributes summonses met him along Road to Leeward in the area of Daddy’s Shop.
He said that four officers were in a marked police car and two of them exited the vehicle.
Shallow said he was carrying some pieces of lumber and a cutlass when just felt what he later realised were two uniformed police officers grabbing him from behind, saying, that they were looking for him for some time.
He said that two of the officers had remained in the car.
The man said he threw the items he was carrying to the ground and asked the police to escort him to Rose Place to take the lumber and cutlass there before taking him into custody.
However, when the police officers refused, Shallow told the police that he was not going with them and picked up the faeces and threatened to pelt the officers with it, he told iWitness News.
Shallow said that at this time he “found a little escape” and ran along the road outside the main entrance to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital then onto the road to Edinboro.
He said that when he got near to a standpipe in the area, he heard a gunshot ring out.
Shallow said the armed officers, who had their guns drawn, again told him not to move. But, instead of complying, he ran in the direction of Rose Place.
He said he ran onto the beach in Rose Place and was able to run into a house.
However a man for whom he had refused to buy rum in the past was inside the house.
The man in the house began making noise telling him to leave, Shallow said, causing the police to realise that he was in the house.
Shallow said that the two police officers entered the house and he put up his hands up, telling the officer, “Please don’t shoot me. I give up.”
He, however, said that the two officers started to shoot, discharging four bullets.
Shallow said he was struck in the left ankle and knee and also in the right knee, which seemed to have been severely damaged.
The police took him to the hospital and he is scheduled to undergo surgery to help treat his injuries.
Shallow told iWitness News that he thinks that the police shot him unnecessarily.
“I was unarmed and had surrendered,” he said, adding that he is now in a lot of pain.
Shallow told iWitness News that he was trying to evade police because it would have been the first Christmas or Carnival since 1990 that he would have been spending outside of prison.
In June 2014, Shallow escaped custody at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court after throwing faeces at the auxiliary police officer on duty there.
He was apprehended later that day in Paul’s Avenue and was later jailed for two years for escaping lawful custody and six months for assault.
The sentences ran concurrently.
Shallow had told the court that he had just been released from prison and had not wanted to go back, hence his decision to use his faeces in his escape attempt.
This seems like the four cops used excessive force to arrest the unarmed petty thief shooting him in both knees after he surrendered possibly crippling this man for life. Now, let’s wait and see if justice will be “seen to be done” in this case. I understand that people are fed up with all the crime taking place in SVG but this is clearly excessive on the part of the cops. Tomorrow this might be your child or family.
Hunt them down until they exist no more, pelting poo is not the same as using a gun, knife or cutlass. The police officers and the minister of national security should be arrested. No police officer had reason to fear for there lives or safety.
Why the minister?
For inciting such police behaviour by using the words “we will hunt them down until the exist no more?
The charge on the police should be attempted murder, the charge on the minister should be inciting police officers to commit a felony.
Excessive force refers to situations where government officials [such as police officers] legally entitled to use force exceed the minimum amount necessary to diffuse an incident or to protect themselves or others from harm. This can come up in different contexts, such as when handling prisoners or even during police operations. When it involves law enforcement, especially during an arrest, it’s also referred to as police brutality. The constitutional right to be free from excessive force is found in the reasonable search and seizure requirement of the Fourth Amendment and the prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment in the Eighth Amendment.
In the 1979 SVG Constitution “such force as is reasonably justifiable”. The word reasonably cannot possibly be applied to the treatment this man received from the police whilst arresting him. “No person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading punishment or other treatment”. This man may be what the comrade would call a worthless dirty dog but that does not mean the police can just shoot him because he is launching missile turds.
“No person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading punishment or other treatment”.
This also applies to police officers beating up people in the interview rooms or elsewhere. The Police are out of control and the persons responsible for their action are the Chief of Police and the Minister of National Security who has total jurisdiction over the Police Force.
This kind of behavior has to stop.
Excessive force is a constitutional violation that can be remedied by filing a civil rights complaint for monetary or injunctive relief.
Was an immediate threat to the safety of the officer/s or others existing?
Were other alternatives to shooting him available?
Were warnings given or provided that he would be shot if he didn’t stop his threats?
Police think trhat SVG is the wild west, they are too fond of shooting people, the are setting an example, and are partly responsible for the climate of shootings currently taking place in SVG, I told the police when dealing with such persons and indeed persons who may be suffering from a mental illness, dont shoot them get a tazer to disable them for a time.
The police should not have shot him in the leg. They should have shot him in the ass. After all, they are defending themselves against faeces.
NON-COMPLIANT BRINGS PAIN
The human excreta story-Throwing Distance..
Except with the ‘…element of surprise,’ (basic training), there is no way a person (police/citizen) armed with a firearm would allow any person to traverse within ‘…knifing or throwing distance’ to inflict injuries or douse him, be it with ‘…feces or corrosive substance.’.
In law enforcement, officers know that they shall always use the ‘…Powers of Observation.’
Moreover they shall’… expect the unexpected.’ Nothing shall be taken for granted. Citizens may also follow this rule.
This appeared to be a man who, to all intents and purposes, wanted to ‘..outwit’ the officers by what most officers know as .Beware of Subterfuge’ (a trick). ‘
He wanted was Police escort to take ‘…wood and cutlass at Rose Place.’ No officer would allow a trickster that privilege.
Since a single bullet, aimed below the waist would have been adequate to ‘…subdue’ him, he may have a very good chance to bring a law suit against the officers for what clearly appeared to have been the ‘…use more force than reasonably necessary to subdue him,’
These officers gave the impression of a dire need for further instructions about ‘…Warning Shots.’ This is bad for ‘…survival strategies.’
Modern Police operations require no such thing, as a person being pursued, if armed with a firearm, could return fire, believing that he was being fired upon.
Then there could be resultant casualties, including ‘…officers; …innocent bystanders or even occupants at home.
The case of radio personality (Carlisle Douglas), who reportedly went onto his veranda and was shot and wounded makes the point.’
He was not a bystander, but at his home when, as curiosity appeared to have spurred him to take a look when a bullet visited him.'[IWN: July 19, 2018].
Many now know what has happened to the curious cat.
All things being equal, a painful but happy ending.
Everything is political in svg. People, the man is pelting sh..t at the police. Literal sh…t.
Would you want to be that officer to be remembered as the one “copper shot throw sh..t on”? Or the one that shot “copper shot” when he attempted to throw sh..t in your face?
Oh give the police a break. Let him try that sh..t with the NYPD, especially since he is a repeat offender.
The local Human Rights commission should be in the forefront of filing a complaint about the excessive use of force and if not answered should institute a criminal and/or civil action. If brutalities like this continue we will be soon sanctioned by the American government which has been suspicious of extra-judicial killings here for some time.
A tazer could have been used instead of shooting the guy in both feet.Those police should be arrested, charge then fired.
So should the minister.