Visitors to the Carmichael Road Detention Centre watched in horror as a reporter from a prominent South Florida Spanish-language news channel was beaten and bloodied by a Defence Force officer.
Witnesses at the centre described how a “short, dark, thick”, Defence Force officer “split” the reporter’s face open with a baton while he was using a pay phone.
According to several bystanders, the officer was one of several officers who “rushed” a group of foreign reporters, after shouting and swearing at them.
Last night, the Ministry of Labour and Immigration issued a statement saying it had launched an investigation into the incident. The statement said that although details of the incident are still emerging, “the ministry is concerned by the initial reports”.
When The Tribune arrived at the scene, a small crowd of angry bystanders were complaining that the guards used the incident as an excuse to abruptly end visiting hours – depriving many detainees of much needed food and clothing.
The guards also obstructed a Tribune photographer and threatened him with arrest for attempting to take photos of the injured journalist from outside the compound. They ordered all vehicles parked outside the centre to leave the area immediately.
According to one witness, the guards displayed a “crazy attitude”. Another claimed the journalist was attacked without provocation. He said the journalist did not attempt to fight back. He said the group, of South Florida journalists had been “waiting patiently” for more than two hours to see some of the detainees when the incident occurred.
The Tribune caught up with members of a joint news team – sent to the Bahamas by television stations Telemundo and Univision – at the Carmichael Road police station where some of them were detained for about two hours following the incident.
After being released, the team dashed off to find their colleague, who, was reportedly taken to hospital after being assaulted by a detention centre guard.
One of the American reporters told The Tribune that while standing outside the gates to the centre, his cameraman and several others were told by the guards to stop filming.
When the cameraman failed to comply, a guard walked out of the compound and punched the cameraman in his back, the foreign reporter said.
He said that at this point, his colleague, whom he only identified as “Mario”, tried to use a cellular phone to inform his superiors that an incident was unfolding, but his cellular phone and camera was confiscated and he was promptly thrown out of the compound.
Witnesses told The Tribune that the journalist then walked over to the pay phone installed on the outside of the centre while being cursed at by the officers.
“He was using the phone and then this short, dark, thick officer walked out and started shouting at him when he was on the phone. I don’t know what he said back to the officer but he wasn’t shouting and he didn’t raise a hand to the officer, but the guard took out his club and split his face right open,” said one woman on the outside waiting to see a relative.
Witnesses said that Mario fell to the ground and was brought back into the centre by the guards and was later transferred to an ambulance, accompanied by another colleague.
Persons who came to visit detainees at the centre yesterday were unable to see their ~friends and family as a result of the incident.
“They said that we had to go out because they had a disturbance on the inside. We know that wasn’t true because we saw what happened.
“I asked the guard how are we supposed to get food to the people now and he told us to come back later. I asked how can we come back if visiting hours are over and he said that we should come back and t because some guards are kinder than others. That shows you that they have no respect for the rules,” one man commented.
Another man said the female detainee he came to visit had already gone 24 hours without food or a change of clothes. when he was turned away.
He said that this was not the first time an isolated incident has been used by the guards to justify turning visitors away. οΎ ”No one will do anything about it. They never do,” he said.
In its statement, the Ministry of Immigration said that it has taken “great pains to ensure the smooth operation of the Detention Centre as a matter of national security. The officers responsible for maintaining order at the centre are trained to act within the law while ensuring the necessary high level of security at the facility.”
The ministry said it will keep the public informed about its investigation into the matter.
By RUPERT MISSICK Jr and PACO NUNEZ
