Police to address conduct of officers involved in Scott Street arrest

The conduct of the police officers who were involved in arresting and allegedly assaulting a man along Scott Street in Suva will be addressed.

This has been confirmed by Police following a video shared on social media showing a man being arrested and put into a police vehicle by about three police officers.

Police say the 18-year-old seen in a video was arrested for a case of drinking liquor in a public place on Monday night.

They say officers were deployed to the scene after information was received of an individual drinking in a public place, where he was arrested and taken in for custody.

Police say as seen in the video, the suspect would not cooperate with officers whereby he allegedly resisted arrest, and sustained injuries.

They say as a result he was taken to the CWM Hospital for medical treatment and was discharged by medical officials.

Police say Totogo Police will await the suspect’s medical report before bringing him in for questioning as investigations continue.

Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu says concerns raised on the conduct of the officers will be addressed, and at the same time called on members of the public to cooperate with police when requested.

He says numerous warnings have been issued on the issue of drinking in public places and if people continue to defy the warnings, then police will enforce the laws accordingly, as such actions pose a significant safety and security threat to others.

The Commissioner says the overall intent of the organisation is to restore public trust and confidence through the conduct of professional service delivery.

He adds members of the public can lodge reports at any of the Police Station or Community Post, and if investigations find officers have abused their authority, necessary disciplinary action will be pursued.