Police Constable Kelon Gilbert, who was recorded and had his image posted across social media when he fell asleep while performing security functions at the home of Government Advisor Harry Gill has filed a lawsuit against the Government official.
Gilbert is claiming $5 million for emotional distress and violation of his rights.
He accused the Advisor to the Home Affairs Minister Harry Gill of video recording him and posting that video to social media without his permission to cause him embarrassment and ridicule.
Gilbert had indicated that he was on duty for more than 20 hours straight when he fell asleep at the Advisor’s home with his service gun in hand.
After the video made the rounds on social media, the Police rank dispatched a letter from his lawyer requesting that the video be removed from the various social media sites. There was no response to his request and that triggered the lawsuit that has now been filed.
The “sleeping Policeman” also wants a public apology from the Government official.
Officer Gilbert is claiming in excess of $1M for intentional infliction of emotional distress or alternatively, damages in excess of $1M for negligent infliction of emotional distress.
He also wants the Court to order Gill to pay him $1M for recklessly or without due care aiding and abetting the public dissemination of the recording he made of him and a further $1m for trespass to the body.
In Court documents, Gilbert’s Attorney, Eusi Anderson argued that Gill’s recording of the officer amounted to emotional distress either willfully or recklessly. The Lawyer said Gill knew that he lacked both consent and approval of the claimant to make the recording.
Anderson said Gill recorded the officer in an embarrassing position and that amounts to a violation of his rights.
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