349 / 494
348
of May (to which this discussion is limited), a very large number of male persons
were detained by the security forces at various locations, viz. Up Park Camp,
Harmon Barracks, Seprod and the National Arena.
Evidence of the JCF
(i)
Commissioner Ellington
10.228.
During examination-in-chief, CoP Ellington was asked about the
rationale for separating persons and detaining them. He said –
“It was a hot zone and there was intense gunfire. We didn’t
know who was who. We were primarily concerned about
the safety of individuals. We could not give orders to
thousands of them and enforce those orders to keep inside,
stay out of the way of gunfire. So the safest option for us to
do was to remove them from the hot zone and that is why
there was mass detention and separation as we battled the
criminals on the ground. As soon as it was possible to re-
unite citizens with their community, that was done. And so
the considerations were citizens’ security, their own safety;
preventing obstruction of the men and women who were
conducting the operation, preserving evidence, ensuring that
citizens did not get caught in crossfire between security
forces elements and criminals who were embedded in the
community.”
On 13 April 2015, CoP Ellington testified that, during the State of Emergency, a
total of 4,372 persons were detained from 24 May to 22 July 2010. Four
thousand and ninety three (4,093) were released. However, as at 28 May 2010,
1,122 were detained and 627 of those were released. The Operational Update
signed by CoP Ellington for 23 June (the day after Coke’s capture/surrender)
tabulates the statistics as follows at Table 3 below.