Glenroy Sinclair, Assignment Coordinator

Realising he had been caught in a sting operation and that his career was on the line, a police sergeant allegedly threatened a taxi driver, pulled his semi-automatic pistol and pointed it in the direction of his colleagues from the Anti-Corruption Unit who had gone to arrest him.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Justin Felice said Sergeant Patrick Williams then ran along East Queen Street, downtown Kingston, while being chased by policemen from the Anti-Corruption Unit.

"He put down the gun, ran into a building and made good his escape," ACP Felice told The Gleaner yesterday.

The police sergeant is now being hunted by his colleagues.

The scenario unfolded Monday outside the huge police complex on East Queen Street. It reportedly started along Hagley Park Road, where Sergeant Williams and a team from the Police Traffic Department were conducting spot checks.

"He stopped a taxi to prosecute the driver for excess passengers," Felice said.

Promise not to prosecute

According to the senior officer, Williams asked the driver of the taxi for $20,000 with a promise not to prosecute him. However, the driver later contacted the Anti-Corruption Unit and a sting operation was set up in front of the Central Police Station.

"He (Williams) was observed accepting a package from the taxi driver," said Felice, who has been charged with the responsibility of getting rid of corrupt members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

The tough-talking Irishman stressed that he would be going after all corrupt members of the JCF.

Commenting on the sergeant's action, Felice said, "This goes to show the level of violence that these corrupt individuals are prepared to go to.

"The taxi drivers can help us because they are paying thousands of dollars daily to these corrupt policemen," Felice added.

He said the police force was in the process of implementing measures to deal with members who were involved in business which conflicted with their job.

Since the start of the year, a number of policemen have been arrested in connection with corruption. In 2006, the Professional Standards Branch received reports that policemen were soliciting as much as $30,000 from a single motorist to disregard a violation or return confiscated documents.

glenroy.sinclair@gleanerjm.com