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Tazing incidents can’t be overlooked | Minister calls for police to exercise greater discretion

Education Minister Dr Natalio Wheatley

Though commending local police officers for enforcing the ongoing curfew, Youth Affairs Minister Dr Natalio Wheatley said using a taser on vulnerable members of society who are found in breach of the lockdown cannot be ignored.

The minister said he has seen video footage of two separate incidents — now circulating on social media — in which law enforcers used a taser gun on persons who either had a mental illness or were experiencing serious hardships.

“I don’t think it is something that we can just look over,” Dr Wheatley said during the House of Assembly on Friday.

“I certainly don’t condone anybody who is rude to the police or exhibits violence to the police. But, I think I have seen enough in these videos to say that there has to be a much stronger connection between the police and social services in making sure that we use that discretion with persons who are particularly vulnerable and who exhibits mental illness,” he added.

Some people can’t survive home

Dr Wheatley made it clear that his remarks are not intended to ‘be hard’ or unfair to the members of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force.

He sought to explain that the territory has individuals who, despite the current state of affairs, are unable to remain home.

“There are some persons who really cannot survive at home because the situation at home is not as normal as other persons home. And we have to be sensitive to that. There are some persons who really need help more than being tazed or anything like that,” he reasoned.

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16 Comments

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  1. Okayyyy says:

    Got it. Pine sol Teacher should have been tased.

    Like 16
    Dislike 2
  2. Anonymous says:

    The sadist xriminal element within ths force has a new toy to play with, of course they are going to play with it.

    Discretion and when to exercise it is not included in police training obviously, here nor any where else. Thank god they are not allowed to freely shoot to kill under the lying moto, ” i feared for my life.”

    Like 15
    Dislike 3
  3. ? says:

    Damn yall complaining over a taser yet other countries is two worst than that , by the minister saying this it will make the ignorant ones feel they can do what they want n have excuses

    Like 10
    Dislike 9
    • levels says:

      It starts small and builds up. Police brutality needs to be nipped in the bud.

      It is as if the police can do no wrong.

      When members of the force even found themselves in court for stealing drugs money AND some of them were seen looting in 2017.

      Like 5
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    • yup says:

      exactly,these rude a$$ criminal getting motivated by these comments.

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  4. Youth doesn’t listen says:

    They’re out all the time on scooters in four wheel drives ignoring the lock down why shouldn’t they be tasered

    Like 19
    Dislike 5
    • I say says:

      you are a public figure, tell those youths that is up and down breaking curfew to adhere to the curfew rules and stay there A**es of the roads at night. Tasers don’t kill, the virus does and it is infecting the black population at a high rate. I don’t care who doesn’t like my comment, the police should tase them in the mouth. By the way, we are still waiting for the report on the Pine Sol teacher. Another brush under the rug cover up? You public figures are a bunch of WOLVERINES in sheep’s wool. Non of you public figures fazes me.

      Like 14
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      • Bulls**t says:

        I would come right in your damm house and tasers ur s***t let you know the feelings.
        You and your whole family

        Like 3
        Dislike 10
        • @Bulls**t says:

          First let me school you on something. The few stings of a taser
          does not compare to the pain a woman goes through when she is about to give birth, when a CHILD try to play the big man role by stepping into the big man wing tipped shoes, the CHILD should be able and ready to handle what comes his way when he BREAKS THE LAW. Not because your body is grown means that you are grown. Stay in a child’s place, Have a few extra animal crackers, a glass of warm milk, read a book and off to bed you go. Little S***t. Oh, when you got tased, did you experience the early morning shakes and drop or did you drop and start flapping like a fish out of water. LMAO???.

  5. Oh Really says:

    Does he even know the full story or opening up his mouth just because he can. He need to be quiet without knowing full story and going off video clip. Smdh

    Like 5
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  6. As a parent says:

    Mr. Minister, you should put that energy into figuring out how to get school work home to the kids that don’t have access to the internet not knuckle heads that got tased for bad behavior.

    Like 7
    Dislike 1
  7. No sense says:

    With all do respect Minister, please get the facts together before getting up in HoA and making noise over taser videos. Stop giving these criminals motives to commit more crimes. I hope the Police deals with each and everyone of them. Stay your a$$ home and adhere to the Curfew!!! what sense you make if you say some people cant afford to stay in their homes. Then, clearly there is no need for a Curfew. I see most of these ministers aren’t making sense.

    Like 4
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  8. rubbish says:

    We making noise over tasing!!mr.wheatley please come with something sensible.Really your enabling these lunatics.We need food out here.Corona is real.

    Like 2
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  9. Peace says:

    The police was given a order to arrest anyone that shouldn’t be on the road , so if you don’t have a pass and your start behaving retarded,what should happen ,the officers give the person a (kiss) please let the police do them work,that’s what them get paid for. So of these people believe they are above the law ,next level of entitlement again .Dr Natalio Wheatley are you saying the officer was abusing is powers.

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