Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Curt Simon has condemned vigilante justice.
He made the comment while speaking during an interview on i95.5FM on Monday.
Simon’s comments came days after a video on social media showed residents of Soledad Road North, Claxton Bay, beating a man they claimed broke into a house in the area. The man was tied to a fence, beaten with a belt and kicked in the face. He was then handed over to the police.
Simon is calling on citizens to be measured in their responses to criminals, particularly those citizens who are firearm users licence (FUL) holders.
He said the force used by citizens to defend themselves must be on par with the attack against them. He also condemned vigilante justice.
“We always apply caution in the magnitude in reaction. I draw the example of if someone spits on you; you don’t pick up your gun and shoot them,” Simon said.
He added, “I send out a warning to the public, you need to be aware of the threat that exists before you. You need to be aware of your responses. You have to be able in that split second to differentiate between the level of the threat and your response.”
Simon said the response should not be greater than the threat itself and that the threat must also not be perceived but real.