Man claims police forced his Muslim fiancée to drink beer
'Head slammed against vehicle'
The 21-year-old said he and his fiancée were returning home from a family function when they were flagged down by an unmarked police vehicle.
Image: File Photo
AFTER a traumatic encounter with police, a Phoenix man is seeking justice for himself and his Muslim fiancée, who was allegedly forced to consume alcohol against her religious beliefs.
The 21-year-old, who declined to be named due to fear for his life, said he and his fiancée, 20, were returning home from a family function when they were flagged down by an unmarked police vehicle while travelling along Longcroft Drive on August 9.
“It was around 9.30pm when the car behind us started flashing its blue lights. I pulled over thinking it was a routine police check. Four men, dressed in police uniform, jumped out of the vehicle. Two of them approached my side of the vehicle, while the other two went to my fiancée’s side.
“One of the officers told me to jump off, and when I did, he spun me around and slammed me against the vehicle. He started shouting and asking me if I was intoxicated or if I was on drugs. At the same time, the other officer pulled my fiancée by her arm out of the vehicle. When I tried to lift my head up to check on her, the officer slammed it against the vehicle,” he claimed.
The man said during this time, the other officers searched the vehicle.
“I work for a company that subcontracts for a security business. We have a siren in the vehicle which we use when we are out on jobs. I tried to tell them it was for work purposes, but the officer said it was illegal. During this time, I was still trying to check on my fiancée, but every time I lifted my head, the officer would slam it against the vehicle. I was hurt above my left eye, and it started to bleed.
“During this time, one of the officers found a sealed can of beer in the vehicle. I tried to tell him it was not ours, that we did not consume alcohol and it must belong to the owner of the vehicle. The officer, who was standing by my fiancée, said that if it was not mine, then it must be hers. He then made her open the can, and drink it in less than a minute.
“After that, the officer pushed me into the vehicle and told me to disconnect the siren. He then pulled me out, and made me open the bonnet to remove the speaker. One of the officers brought a bottle of water and began washing my blood off the vehicle. He then poured the water over my head and said I must wash the blood off my face. They then told us to get in the vehicle, and they left,” he alleged.
The man said he was now seeking justice.
“My fiancée has been left traumatised and sick after she was forced to consume the alcohol. I am angry at how people who are supposed to protect and serve behave. To add to it, I am a community in blue (CIB) member, and often go out on patrols with the local police to prevent crime, yet I became a victim of it. It is not acceptable. They must be punished and taken out of the police service so that no one else has to go through this.”
Colonel Robert Netshiunda, a provincial police spokesperson, said a case of common assault and theft was opened.
“A 21-year-old man was allegedly assaulted, reportedly by a police officer when he was stopped on the road. The matter was transferred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate for further investigation.”