Charges likely for taxi driver seen exchanging 'punches' with police officer

A snippet of the police officer and the taxi driver during the altercation

Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn on Wednesday implied that charges of assaulting a police officer are likely for the taxi driver, who was seen exchanging "punches" with a police officer outside the New Amsterdam Town Council building.

The Home Affairs Minister made this comment on the sidelines of the signing of the New Demerara River Bridge.

"The taxi driver assaulted a peace officer, and that, as far as I am aware, is a charge under Guyana's laws," Minister Benn stated.

He added, "The taxi driver, I believe too, was being engaged by the police officer because he was blocking the road or making some kind of traffic infringement and was not cooperating."

On Tuesday, a video took Facebook by a storm after a police officer was seen trading punches with a civilian whom he was trying to arrest.

Merely hours later, the Commissioner of Police (ag.) Clifton Hicken expressed his dismay with the incident while noting that an investigation was launched. In fact, he appealed to the public to cooperate with the police and vice versa.

"The police does not and cannot operate in isolation, thus the need for partnership and cooperation between the Police and the public – one that should be premised on mutual trust and cooperation while exploring every avenue to maintain law and order in society," Hicken posited.

To this end, the Top Cop revealed that the Police Force is working on postures and strict adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) aimed at ensuring that ranks are professional in the discharge of their duties, even in the face of harassment and intimidation from non-cooperating civilians.