A nine-minute video being circulated on social media shows an officer attempting to arrest a man in Half-Way-Tree after he allegedly refused to wear a mask as he ventures into a public space.
The police is seen wrestling with the man, insistent on not wearing a mask and appearing to be resisting arrest.
Few minutes into the video another policeman who was passing the area stopped to see what was happening, he eventually left, leaving the officer to effect the arrest on his own.
The man was offered a mask, but still, he refused to wear it. The situation escalated further as the police tried to put the man in the back of the service vehicle. As he continued to refuse the police orders, passers-by gathered, most of whom were urging the man to put on the mask they gave him.
Under the Disaster Risk Management Act, persons must wear a mask while in public spaces. Those who refuse to comply are in breach of the act and can therefore be arrested.
High commissioner for the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), Heru Ishakamusa Menelik, says he is appalled by the police handling of the situation and that the rights of the Rastafarian were violated.
Senior Superintendent of Police, and head of the corporate communications unit in the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Stephanie Lindsay confirmed the man was eventually arrested. She also says the police are faced with similar situations every day as Jamaicans flout Covid-19 safety guidelines.
