Police Divisional Commander for C’ Division, Assistant Commissioner, Leslie James, has indicated to News Source that police investigators are actively probing the case of the two Georgetown men who were accosted and beaten by a group of persons in the Canal #1 area after being accused of being thieves.

The two men, Vernon Beckles and Dameion Gordon, have since given statements in the matter.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening during the phagwah celebrations.

Speaking to News Source this afternoon, an emotional Dameion Gordon, recounted that he was part of a group of friends who were in the community at the invitation of another friend to show them the venue for an upcoming event that the friend was hosting.

He said they were on their way out of the community when they decided to stop at  corner shop t to take a “wash-down” (final drink) for the night.

“There were six of us, two indian girls, myself and Vernon, and a dougla (mixed race) guy. We were all in the same car and we all came out at the shop”.

He said moments after they entered the shop, just before 9:00pm, they were accosted by a group of persons who accused them of stealing two car mirrors.

Gordon said that even his friend and his wife who live in the community told the men that they all had just arrived, but that appeared to be of little consequence to the “mob” that attacked them while throwing racial slurs.

He said himself and the other friend, Vernon Beckles, were singled out by the mob and kicked to the face and lashed to the head with bottles, while being accused of being thieves and having racial slurs of being “black men” thrown at them.

The young man recounted that even after a community policing patrol arrived on the scene, the mob continued to pounce on them.

“At one stage, the members of the community policing group placed us in handcuffs and even then they continued to beat on Vernon”.

Gordon recalled that when one of the members of the policing group attempted to stop the attack, the villagers turned on him and he was forced to run from the scene.

The youth recalled the scary experience and said members of a Police Patrol arrived and were able to take them from the area.

But their troubles did not end there, although they were taken for medical treatment by the lawmen, they said they were still kept in custody and spent Sunday night in the lock-ups of the Wales Police station, after first being held at the La Grange station.

He said although they were first taken to La Grange, the officers at Wales told them that they could not find any record of their arrest at La Grange or being in custody there.

The two men were eventually released on station bail on Monday. Just after their release, they provided full statements to the police on the incident. They are expected to visit the La Grange station later today.

Both men are shaken by the encounter and said they now want their names completely cleared and some justice offered in the matter.

Police Commander for the Division, Leslie James, said he will ensure a thorough investigation is done. He has already requested a meeting with the two men and intends to put additional investigators on the case.

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