THA official in beach fracas

TOBAGO police are investigating an altercation between a Tobago House of Assembly official and a man from Penal after the Great Fete Soca Glow event at the Pigeon Point Heritage Park last Saturday. The incident allegedly stemmed from a hit-and-run accident and escalated into allegations of assault. The Trinidadian, whose car was hit, was left bloodied from a fall off the THA official's van.

A video circulating on social media this week showed the THA official approaching the man, who was bleeding from his head, and slapping a big stone out of his hand.

With police intervening, the THA official and the other man, who was bareback and wearing white jeans, began arguing over who was wrong.

The man told the THA official, “Yuh bounce meh, boy, is ah racial thing?”

The THA official retorted, “The man slap me, all kinda thing. You assault me.”

ACP Ansley Garrick confirmed to Newsday on Wednesday that the incident happened between the THA official and a partygoer after the event. He did not want to give details of the report made to Crown Point police but said they are investigating.

One eyewitness told Newsday the man was injured after he fell off a vehicle driven by the THA official.

“We were walking out (Pigeon Point) when we saw the guy running behind the van, jumped into the tray and hit the back and side glass using a belt buckle. He (THA official) sped off...and the guy fell onto the ground. It happened a few feet away from a police booth.”

The eyewitness added, “This was one of the biggest fete in Tobago. If you bounce somebody, you don’t drive off. That is very arrogant.”

The eyewitness said the Trinidadian man had a gash on his forehead, and a window and the rear windscreen of the official's vehicle were damaged.

Calls to Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles and the THA official involved in the accident went unanswered.