David Summers, who was assaulted by a police officer Tuesday in front of several witnesses, has filed a complaint with the Police Department's Internal Affairs unit.
According to Summers' attorney, Karin Bentz, the complaint was filed with a Col. Austin Duncan on Wednesday.
The assault occurred at 2:45 p.m., after Summers was pulled over on the Waterfront near
International Plaza by police officer Lionel "Lala" Charleswell for a traffic violation. When Summers emerged from his vehicle to explain his actions, Charleswell called him "whitey" and screamed at Summers to "shut up," according to the Daily News.
At some point, as other police officers attempted to hold him back, Charleswell began swinging wildly at Summers striking him several times, according to witnesses, and sticking his finger in Summers' eye.
Charleswell also said he hoped Summers fiancé, Maryalyce Boynton, would be raped. Boynton had asked Charleswell why he wasn't out looking for rapists instead of harassing Summers and her.
According to witnesses, Charleswell threatened Summers, saying, "You haven't seen the last of me. You'll be taking it up the ass."
The Daily News reported that when the victims asked other police officers on the scene to guarantee that nothing further would happen to them, the officers said, "No, it's your problem."
This is the second assault this month on a resident by a police officer.
On March 18 an incident between a vacation villa manager and a taxi driver in Cruz Bay, St. John resulted in the female villa manager being grabbed her by the left breast and slammed against her vehicle at least a half-dozen times in full view of dozens of people. The assailant was allegedly an off-duty police officer.
Repeated attempts to reach officials of the Police Department for comment on Wednesday were unsuccessful.
