National

“There Are Rules and Regulations When It Comes to Making an Arrest”

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – A viral video of what appears to show men dressed as immigration officers violently restraining and choking a man inside a home has sparked concern and calls for accountability.

Published

9 months ago

May 20, 2025

Delvardo Emmanuel

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – A viral video of what appears to show men dressed as immigration officers violently restraining and choking a man inside a home has sparked concern and calls for accountability.

It remains unclear whether the individuals in the video are legitimate law enforcement officers.

Our News obtained videos from the 242 In The Know Facebook page, and the footage appears to show at least three people dressed in camouflage with Bahamian and Immigration patches choking and beating a man inside a home.

In the first 40-second clip, one man is seen dragging a man inside and pushing him to the ground.

Moments later, a second man lies on his back as another officer chokes him and a nearby, a woman pleads.

The second video, just over two minutes long, shows the aftermath.

The man staggers across the room, dazed, while the individuals in camouflage surround him.  

Former Immigration Minister Brent Symonette, who hadn’t seen the video before speaking with Our News Tuesday morning.

He says use of force by uniformed officers must always be justified.

Brent Symonette – Former Minister of Immigration

“ There are established rules for security officers, ie the defense force, the immigration police force in where they exercise, uh, arrest, and what’s, what is justifiable. I have not seen the video, so i don’t know. What led up to that, whether, but i, um, i understand there were some, uh, allegations of choking. I think if that’s the case, there has to be, um, excess force in such a situation should never be tolerated by anyone, but even more so by uniformed officers of the state because they’re trained on what they have to do.”

Symonette says during his time in office, similar incidents rarely reached his desk but were typically handled by department heads. Still, he acknowledges that not every detainee is cooperative and urges a balanced view.

Brent Symonette – Former Minister of Immigration

“ I will say in some instances, you’re not dealing with saints. So, you know, I mean the non, the non in arresting someone. So, you know, we have to be very careful that we don’t come down too hard on, on law enforcement officers when we don’t know the circumstances. But it’s sometimes. Uh, force may be warranted and that that has to be something that has to be looked into and can’t be answered on a pure video.”

It remains unclear whether the individuals in the video are legitimate law enforcement officers.

Authorities have not released an official statement.