A Port-of-Spain magistrate yesterday reminded citizens that while they may not always agree with the way police officers operate, they should respect them. "You must respect police officers because they have a job to do. "You must know what to say and when to say it," said Port-of-Spain Magistrate Gloria Jasmath minutes before she reprimanded and discharged a Diego Martin man for using obscene language and resisting arrest. He had pleaded guilty.
Jameel Wallace, 24, of Savannah Trace, was arrested on April 28 around 9.30 am while walking near his home. He was held after police on mobile patrol saw him acting in a suspicious manner and he began cursing them, accusing them of deliberately shooting a teenager from the area days before.
Wallace appeared in court yesterday on three charges. He will return to court on May 29 for a charge of stealing a cellphone belonging to the Police Service. It is alleged that while in police custody, Wallace was taken for medical attention and he stole a cellphone belonging to one of the police officers who had accompanied him to hospital.
He pleaded not guilty to that charge and was granted his own bail in the sum of $15,000. The matter was adjourned to May 29. Yesterday, before leaving court, Wallace, a construction worker, was ordered to apologise to the police officers.