Police brutality

THE article ‘Killer officers cop long jail terms’ (The National, Oct 12) prompts me to share my experience with a group of policemen.
I was involved in a domestic issue with my spouse, so I took my children and went away so my spouse’s extramarital affairs won’t affect them.
My spouse complained to police and it so happened that some accomplices in the extramarital affairs were involved.
Consequently, I was picked up from work by four policemen in uniform to be questioned on the issues. I was asked to jump into one of the cars, a dark-tinted civilian vehicle.
With police brutality well-publicised in the media, I knew what I was up against, so I cooperated.
It became apparent that on several occasions I was questioned in manners to make me angry and respond to protect myself, and I knew what would happen if I did that.
I controlled my words and responses carefully, and the policemen had nothing that would provoke them to use physical force on me.
On several occasions, I asked to know the names of the policemen but I was not given any name.
This almost resulted in me being beaten up.
I was threatened that I would spend time in jail and I would not go back to work.
Mr Policeman, how can that even be possible without going to court first.
All of a sudden you have become a judge too?
After going through that ordeal, it became clear that we have in this country police officers who are operating outside their job descriptions, putting the law under the table and using both physical and verbal abuse on their victims.
The PNG police force is full of officers who feel they are above the law.
Their pledge to uphold the law does not mean anything anymore as they have become overtaken with greed and their willingness to do favours for their friends and people they are connected to.
When the law catches up with you, Mr Policeman, you will feel inside your bones what it means to be cruel to people just because you believe you are above the law.
And to those four policemen who will be spending a long time in jail for beating up a defenseless man after he has been arrested, now you will feel the pain.
Thankfully, I am safe and well with my children because I did not allow myself to be drawn into your abusive confrontation. I am not a common criminal.
I wish you and your folks in blue can do what I did when you next deal with a member of the public.

Below the Law
Goroka