ComPol Williams Says Sgt. Devon Makin Acted to Secure His Safety

Commissioner of Police Chester Williams has finally broken his silence on the viral video that surfaced over the weekend of a police officer pistol whipping an individual in San Pedro. That officer has been identified as Sergeant Devon Makin. Well, ComPol Williams says the video was spliced to paint Makin in a negative light. He explained that Makin was off duty when a pair of minors approached him and informed him that they were being chased by three armed men in masks. ComPol Williams says, Sergeant Makin pursued the men, one of whom was seen being apprehended in the video. But was the individual armed and does the Commissioner of Police consider Sergeant Makin’s response to be an excessive use of force? Here is how he explained the entirety of the incident,

including all that he says was not captured on camera.

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“First and foremost let me say that many a times when we have these video footage that are sent to the media or posted on different social media platform, the persons who recorded these video footages often times just release what they want the public to see and would splice the video for their own convenience. I think before we jump to our own conclusion it is essential that we ascertain what actually transpired. In this particular instance the sergeant had reported off duty and was on his way home. On his way he was stopped by two minors who were extremely frantic and in fear who complained to him that the same young man you all saw in the video with him and about two other persons were chasing them with mask and firearm. The sergeant being the type of person he is, he didn’t leave them in cold. He returned and went to see if he could apprehend these individuals. He met the one seen with him in the video and obviously the information is that he may be armed, the police may need to take out his weapon to secure his safety as well as the safety of others. In so doing, what you normally do when you have a suspect that is armed you would put him to kneel down or on the ground on his belly until you ascertain he is safe. The sergeant attempted to do that but while he was trying to put the person in either of those positions the young man was resisting. He only have two hands so he was holding him with one hand, and he had the gun in the other hand. So he tried to hit him with the other hand and that is the hand that had the gun. I am not going to condone the issue of the pistol whipping cause the truth is the weapon could have gone off and the outcome could have been different. But we have to look at the issue in its totality. It is not like the sergeant just went and pick on someone for no reason and just beat him up. There was a complaint made by two minors and though he was off duty he responded to the call of the two minors to apprehend the individual. Those people who did the video recording knows what happened, but they went and splice the video. Now the two minors and their parents had gone to the San Pedro Police Station and lodged his complaint. The young man now, as much as the public is crying out for him, he escaped because when the officer went after to try and apprehend the others he escaped. And from then to now he has not resurfaced. He has gone to hiding. So if it is that you know you are so innocent, you have done nothing wrong and the police have abused you then why don’t you come forward and make your complaint. But he has not done that. So that just goes to show that he knows exactly what he did and he intends to continue hiding from the law.”