KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Inspectorate and Professional Standards Oversight Bureau (IPROB) says that it has cleared a police officer upon completion of its preliminary enquiry into accusations that the officer prevented a woman from taking her sick child to the Bustamante Hospital for Children during a traffic stop.

IPROB has found that the officer “exercised due care and complied with the policies and procedures of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, as well as the laws of Jamaica.”

The police said the findings, after interviewing the complainant, her teenage son and the officers involved, revealed that there was no sick child in the vehicle, that the woman was offered alternative transportation by the police and her vehicle was seized for breaches under the Road Traffic Act. She also received two traffic tickets.

IPROB conducted the investigation following the viral video shared on multiple social media platforms over the weekend which depicting the woman accusing the police of misconduct.

Reports are that on Friday, July 2 about 5:30 pm, a team of officers from the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB) was conducting traffic enforcement activities along Mountain View Avenue, in the vicinity of Arthur Wint Drive, when a Toyota Corolla motor car, driven by the woman with a teenager as passenger, was signalled to stop.

The driver complied and the police requested her motor vehicle documents, which according to reports, revealed that her certificate of fitness expired on August 21, 2020 and her registration certificate expired on May 31, 2021. The police said the driver also confirmed that the insurance on the motorcar was also expired.

After pointing out the breaches of the Road Traffic Act, the woman was reportedly informed that she will be ticketed and the motor vehicle seized.

The police said she then proceeded to inform officers that she had an emergency and was transporting her sick child to the Bustamante Hospital. However, the police said a check of the car revealed that there was no sick child in the car and that the child was already at the hospital.

The police said the officer then proceeded to solicit the assistance of a taxi to take her to the hospital, at no charge to her, which she refused. They noted that a further attempt was made to assist her in another police service vehicle and she also refused and insisted that the officers on location take her to the hospital.

The police are reminding drivers that it is their responsibility to ensure that motor vehicles are road worthy by checking that all vehicle documents are up to date including insurance, certificate of fitness and registration certificate in order to avoid prosecution.