A recent incident in which a man claims he was shot at by a high-ranking police officer – parts of which were caught on video – is being investigated by the police force.
In a statement, the police said that their “administration is aware of a video that is making its rounds on social media, where a member of the police force allegedly discharged a firearm [and] so far, the administration has commenced an inquiry into the said matter”.
Reliable sources told Observer that the officer’s gun has since been confiscated pending the outcome of the investigation.
The 49-second video shows two men dressed in plain clothing talking in front of a white truck.
One of the men, seen wearing a grey T-shirt – said to be 23-year-old Kernis ‘Redman’ Jules – appears to be reaching into his pocket, for an item he claims was a cell phone, before walking away.
The camera briefly goes awry, and the next scene shows the other man, in a red shirt, appearing to follow him and the sound of a gunshot is heard.
Jules, who spoke exclusively to Observer on Thursday, said that he had been sitting on his bicycle chatting to a friend who was on their verandah when a vehicle approached him at high speed.
An altercation ensued and the driver climbed out of his truck, allegedly smelling of alcohol.
Jules claimed that while he was walking away, he heard screams from onlookers at which point he turned to see the assailant pointing a gun at him. As he ran away he heard a shot, he told Observer.
Jules said he believed the man intended to shoot him but missed.
He also stated that he did not know that the man was a police officer until he told him his name and rank.
According to the police, their “administration understands the concerns surrounding the incident, and is advising the public against prematurely drawing to a conclusion at this early stage of the investigation, based solely on a short video”.
They are also asking anyone with information about the incident to come forward and assist police.