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GSU VS GSG Part 2?
posted (February 9, 2012)
In August, the conflict between the George Street Gang, GSG and the Gang Suppression Unit flared out into naked hostility after the GSU rained down on the GSG's base.

Well tonight, tensions and outrage are high again - not as high as it was in August, mind you - but high nonetheless - because George Street operatives are saying that they were viciously targeted by the GSU again last night.

Still recovering from their injuries, they spoke with Monica Bodden this morning:...

Monica Bodden reporting
The bruises on the back of this man are allegedly from a baton used by GSU Officers. He showed us his busted face and cuts on his foot straight down to his toes.

His elbow was also fractured - and the swelling was visible. He was still in his bloodstained shorts from the incident.

This other man could hardly walk. He too also claimed he was beaten on his foot with a baton by GSU officers who also fractured his arm and fingers.

There are 4 others who were beaten - and were receiving treatment at the hospital- with bruises all over their body and open wounds on their faces.

These men claimed that a little after 1 this morning while they were asleep, about 10 GSU officers with masks on their faces burst into their apartment complex that is located on Dean Street near its junction with George Street, and broke down 6 of their room doors, and then began beating them viciously with batons.

The men say none of the officers mentioned a word to them to indicate what the beating was about and no search of their rooms was conducted. They said when the officers were done, they drove off - detaining no one - leaving them bruised up.

We spoke with 2 of the 6 men- who recalled the entire incident to us and expressed how they felt about being brutalized by police for no reason at all.

Shawn Alay - Claims Police Brutality
"When I was sleeping - I went to sleep like about after 10pm. About 1:30 this morning I just saw my door stomped open. The officer who had a mask on his face put on the light switch. He didn't ask or say anything; he just whipped me up repeatedly. I didn't do anything."

"This is the second time the Gang Unit did this to me."

Monica Bodden
"So they beat you up with a baton?"

Shawn Alay - Claims Police Brutality
"Yes they whipped me up in my back. I went to the hospital last night and they gave me medication for the pain."

Monica Bodden
"Is any part of your body fractured?"

Shawn Alay - Claims Police Brutality
"Not really, it's just this swelling on my hands."

Monica Bodden
"Did they mention anything?"

Shawn Alay
"They didn't say anything nor did they do a search. They just started to whip me up."

Monica Bodden
"So they just came in here, broke down your door and started to whip you?"

Shawn Alay
"They kicked down my friends' doors too, and they just started to whip them too."

Monica Bodden
"So six of you guys, they started to whip this morning. This happened around what time again?"

Shawn Alay
"About 1:30 this morning."

Monica Bodden
"So when they finished whipping you guys what did they do?"

Shawn Alay
"They jumped in their vehicle and went about their business."

Monica Bodden
"Did they detain anybody?"

Shawn Alay
"They didn't detain anybody, miss."

Lenard Myers - Claims Police Brutality
"I was sleeping probably about after 1 this morning when the GSU came with masks on. They kicked open my door and started to pepper spray me. I went on the ground because I could not see. They started to beat me all over."

"They are creating monsters because I am at peace."

Monica Bodden
"They didn't say what they were here for? They didn't say anything? They just beat you up?"

Lenard Myers
"Nothing at all; they just kicked open the door and started to beat us down like we are animals, like we deserve to die. One thing I want them to know is that they have a short time, and if I die all of them will die."

"I am tired of this; I can't go through anymore suffering. From I was born in this country I was going through suffering - tribulations after tribulations, pain after pain, sorrow after sorrow."

"Instead of them protecting people's fundamental rights, they are destroying it and taking away all our freedom. For what? nothing."

Monica Bodden
"You feel violated and disrespected?"

Lenard Myers
"I feel totally violated. I feel threatened because they are kicking down our doors; one spell I thought it was a gunman."

"They will kick down the wrong door and will run up into something hard because people think that a gunman is coming. They came with masks on."

"This nation is going to a stage that I don't really understand. The same people that I think I can trust, I cannot trust any at all. They continue to abuse and mistreat us and think they can laugh with you."

"Around their round table, they think we are stupid, they think we are "kunu munu." I can't take this anymore. Mr. Dean Barrow talks about how he went through 10 years of tribulation. I look like I will go through 20-25 years. But this will not happen because I am tired of this. Look at my hands and my feet. I got shot in this foot already by the police."

"I don't really understand what is going on. It makes me feel crazy. The last thing I want to do is to go to bush, because if I do the problem will start because we can't take this anymore."

"They continue to chance people on a daily basis and it seems like nobody cares. The bigger heads don't care. The police cannot come and beat up people and nothing happens."

But these men are not the only ones complaining about the GSU. Sharlene Lewis - a single mother of 5 who lives on West Canal - told us GSU officers came breaking down her door early this morning - while she and her children were asleep. Again, she said, she wasn't given any explanation; no search was done and no one was detained. After breaking her door down and dashing into her children's bedroom, the officers left her house.

Sharlene Lewis
"Last night at 12:47 we were asleep. All I heard was a bang, bang on the door. By the time I got up, there were 4 GSU police officers with masks on their faces were already in my house. I couldn't recognize their faces. I recognize a couple of them from their body structure."

"They ran directly in the back room without asking any questions or anything. When they went in the back room, my 12 year old daughter was sleeping on the bottom bunk. One of the officers dragged the sheet from off her. I heard when my daughter screamed. I made an attempt to go see her when a tall officer blocked me from going in."

"After that, they ran outside through the door. When they were outside an officer told me the "f" word and I answered him. When they were going down the street, one of the officers showed me his middle finger. I told him where on his mother to put that middle finger."

"I want this to stop because I am tired of police harassment. I don't have anything to hide. I am a hard working single mother. I have 5 children, and I work hard for them."

"Whenever police come to my house, you would never hear them say that they find anything here. Not because my son is from around here and he hangs out on the block, He is for me; he was born, and he grew up here at this house. What do they want me to do? Move from here to please them? No man, that will not work."

"But Officer Sambula; every time he meets my daughter he tells her things. But wait, I want him to get the answer, anytime he thinks that he can do my children anything, it will not go like that."

Monica Bodden
"Why do you think he is doing that?"

Sharlene Lewis
"From a time when my daughter gave an interview, when police officers used taser guns on some girls a while back - from then he had it for my daughter."

"He and I got in arguments before because he used to take my son to the station. I asked him to be a man and to tell me what he has with my son. By that, he holds malice towards me; he doesn't speak to me, but I don't care. As I said if my son does anything and you want to take him then let justice prevail. He is not their son for them to beat."

"One thing I want to say to them is that if anyone of them thinks that they can beat my children or cripple anyone of them; they better be born again because it looks like they don't know about love. If they come from "hallow tree" - not any of my children comes from "hallow tree," so I will give them back."

"Whenever they come, they better make sure that they take me down because whenever you hear they come back at my house in that kind of manner; I am talking to you here, but maybe you all will be interviewing me from the hospital bed."

"That bottle of acid that I had there, and I don't know who is coming in my house, with so much home invasions happening - I would have acid them, and that person would have suffered."

Monica Bodden
"They came in your house and didn't explain anything to you. Why they were breaking down your door?"

Sharlene Lewis
"They didn't ask any questions at all. I would have expected them to ask if my son is here or whosoever is here, but nothing. They didn't even give you a break to talk. They just came in and straight into the back room. They didn't even look in the bathroom or my room. They didn't search any at all. They only looked in there."

"That is the reason that hurts me because at least, explain yourself. We are all human beings. If they had only knocked on the door, I don't have anything to hide. From the time they searched my house they could never say that they find anything in my house because I don't deal those things. So deal with me fair. That is what I want them to get the sense that I am a woman but I will stand up. They are men, but, trust me, I am not afraid for any of them. I will not be the first and last woman to go to jail. So trust me, I will prepare for them again."

Commander of the GSU, Superintendent Marco Vidal flatly denies that the GSU had anything to do with those incidents. He told us via text message that quote "the GSU conducted no operation either last night or this morning." He said that he can say with certainty that it was not the GSU on those brutal raids.

Meanwhile, residents insist that not only was it the GSU - but they named at least one GSU officer that they identified.

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