Police brutality, bullying not on

 THE recent bashing of university lecturer Francis Essy in Port Moresby by police personnel is yet another shocking example of the brutal and often times unnecessary use of force which has tarnished the constabulary.

Essy suffered a serious head injury after he was knocked down and kicked in the head as a result of asking police officers at a service station in the capital city’s east why he and two nephews and a friend were ordered to lie down after being accosted by the men in blue.

Granted this happened in the early hours of the Saturday (Oct 4) morning at the 3-Mile service station. 

It is unclear what exactly prompted the police to see Essy and his group as threat but the reaction to a simple question was completely unnecessary.

If the police claim they were provoked by Essy then they are the ones who have failed to do their jobs properly. Police procedure should require the officers to explain themselves. 

If upholding and enforcing the law is job of the police, then one must ask; what specific law was broken and did it warrant such a reaction? 

It is inexcusable to assault innocent parties who were not committing a crime or being a danger to anyone else at the time.

We have seen this kind of brutality by police and even defence force personnel exacted upon the people and it seems that the so-called disciplined forces can be nothing more than bullies and pose a threat to the people they are supposed to protect and serve.

If Essy questioned the police and refused to obey their initial command, he had a right to. What the police officers should have done was practice some restraint and understand that if their actions were justified – meaning if Essy was acting suspiciously or if they considered him to be an immediate threat to their safety and that of other bystanders – then some action was required. 

Was Essy carrying a dangerous weapon? Did they search his person or his car? Did they read him his rights and make him aware of his actions? 

Was he posing a clear and immediate danger to the people in the vicinity? Did the police have good reason to believe he was someone who needed to be restrained immediately?

If the police officers cannot satisfactorily show that they followed proper procedure then they have failed miserably in their job.

If the police want to be given a fair go, then they should, as far as possible, act towards the public as law enforcement officials not thugs with a badge.

Essy is now claiming that his injury, a fractured skull, could affect his ability to work and has put his employment in jeopardy. 

The man’s livelihood has been impacted to the point that he may no longer be able to function as he did before the injury and this in turn will affect his family.

The police officers responsible must be dealt with and either be removed or suspended for their gross negligence and unprofessionalism.

We hope that Essy’s injuries are not as severe as initially feared and that he makes a full recovery and can return to work and continue to be a productive member of the University of PNG’s School of Business Administration.

Essy has every right to sue the state for damages and to press charges against those who assaulted him and his nephews.

If the police officers involved can justify their actions and explain why it was necessary to beat a group of men for no apparent reason and leave one of them with a permanent life-changing injuries then we would like to hear it.

National Capital District Metropolitan Police Superintendent Andy Bawa has vowed to investigate the assault thoroughly and deal with them accordingly.

We can only hope Bawa takes the necessary action to identify the men responsible and then take appropriate action he has promised. 

By that the least the public and Essy can expect is that the individual/s who attacked him are sacked and charged with assault causing grievous harm.

That is the least we expect and anything less than that would be tantamount to condoning that kind of behaviour and it is this kind of passive leadership from the force’s hierarchy that perpetuates police brutality.