The Royal Police Force of Antigua & Barbuda has denied allegations of abuse and has sought to clarify the circumstances under which an arrested man was left lying, handcuffed on the side of the road.
According to the Police Office of Strategic Communications (STRATCOM), the officer who arrested Ibo Hughes, 25, of Nut Grove had to leave him at the side of the road to seek medical attention for injuries the officer had sustained during an altercation between the two.
It stated, “In an effort to apprehend him, he (Hughes) struck the officer a blow in his chest cavity, rendering him temporarily incapacitated … The officer, because of his medical condition, was forced to leave the man on the scene handcuffed, to seek immediate attention.”
According to the release, the incident “stemmed from a report of larceny” in Golden Grove on July 22. It stated that a Golden Grove woman “called out to the police for assistance, after she saw a man stealing her 20lb propane gas cylinder from her yard.”
The release further stated that the officer was on mobile patrol when they saw the man “in the Big Creek area, in the vicinity of the Roundabout”. STRATCOM said that after the injured officer left the scene other officers arrived “shortly” after
and took Hughes to the hospital where he was treated for injuries he sustained during the altercation with the officer. STRATCOM also thanked members of the public who assisted the injured officer. A video of the incident was quickly circulated on social media, sparking criticism that Hughes had been abused by police for having been left on the side of the road.
The release concluded indicating that the matter was before the police Office of Professional Standards (OPS) “for further investigation”.