Police station camera footage seized

PROFESSIONAL Standard Bureau officers probing allegations that a Latino woman went to the Morvant Police Station, adorned herself with a police inspector’s shirt and took a selfie, yesterday seized camera footage from the station as part of the investigation.

Investigators said the footage would be viewed to ascertain how the woman entered the station and if she was accompanied by anyone.

According to sources, it has already been verified that the selfie was taken out in one of the offices at the Morvant Police Station, and the woman in the picture was believed to be employed as a bartender in the Barataria district. The woman was also known to frequent a club called Spanish Harlem and is expected to be questioned today by PSB officers.

The officer in question ASP Michael Sooker has already stated that he was set up because his uniform was always left in his office and believes that this was done to create mischeif and prevent him from being promoted.

However, investigators are hoping that when the woman in the photos is interviewed she would be able to shed some light in the matter.

In one of the photos, the shirt had badge with the title Inspector and ASP stitched on, and another had the pin with Sooker’s name and regimental number.

According to the Police Service Act, Chapter 15:01, any person other than a police officer who not being specially authorised in writing by the “Commissioner so to do (a) wears the uniform of a police officer, or any part thereof, (b) wears any costume or any article of clothing so closely resembling the uniform or any portion thereof of a police officer that he may be reasonably mistaken for a police officer, is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $5000 and to imprisonment for two years.”

Last Friday Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams ordered an investigation into the matter.

There are five entrance accesses to the inspector’s office which is located on the eastern side of the police station.