THE COMMISSIONER of Police has been slapped with another civil suit.
This time it surrounds the shooting of a horse trainer by two of his officers four years ago.
Yesterday, attorney Arthur Holder filed a suit against Constables Michael Andre Doughty and Iriah Freeman after they allegedly shot Sidneato Alpha Holford in his elbow in 2006.
The Commissioner and the Attorney-General have been named as parties to the suit.
Holford, a 27-year-old horse trainer of Licorish Village, My Lord’s Hill, St Michael, had been accused of illegal possession of a .25-auto calibre firearm and three rounds of .25-calibre ammunition on October 4, 2006. Lawmen in the case claimed they were forced to discharge their firearms at Holford after he turned and pointed the gun in his hand at them.
However, earlier this week, Holford was acquitted by a nine-member mixed jury.
The suit accuses Doughty and Freeman of acting “maliciously, recklessly and negligently and without cause” in that they “discharged their firearms at [Holford] who was running away from them, shooting him in his elbow”.
The suit also claims that as a result of the constables’ malicious, reckless and negligent actions, Holford had to be taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was detained from October 4 to 25, 2006, and again from November 22 to 25 of that same year, when he underwent surgery.
“[And] as a result of the malicious, reckless and negligent conduct of the [lawmen], Holford suffered, in addition to physical pain, deep psychological trauma, loss and damage,” the suit said.
As a result, the suit is asking a high court judge to award Holford special damages for his pain, suffering and medical expenses, as well as interest and cost.
A date has yet to be set for hearing. (HLE)
