Observer Media — The country’s ambassador to the US is in discussion with stateside authorities regarding the case of a Barbuda Council member who was arrested after apparently assaulting several police officers.
Four cops were said to be escorting Kendra Beazer from a hotel to a mental health evaluation when the incident unfolded on Sunday night.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne told Observer that Sir Ronald Sanders was in touch with “various state agencies”.
“This is to ensure that Kendra’s legal and constitutional rights are not violated and also to ensure that he gets the necessary protection as someone who may have suffered a mental breakdown,” Browne confirmed.
The 28-year-old Lehigh University graduate student, who is on a Fulbright scholarship, was reportedly acting erratically on Sunday night in a Pennsylvania hotel.
Court papers say he assaulted three police officers and a sergeant who were subsequently taking him for the voluntary mental health evaluation.
Beazer was arraigned early Monday before a district judge on charges of aggravated assault, disarming a law enforcement officer, flight to avoid apprehension, resisting arrest, simple assault and harassment.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that there was no love lost between himself and Beazer but added that mental health was a sensitive subject.
“He spared no effort to call me crazy and to curse my mentally ill mother but then again, as I say, you don’t know how you’ll end up and that is why we have to be very respectful of each other and especially those who are mentally ill – or anyone who has any illness whatsoever. We should not use their illness to disrespect them,” Browne
A spokesman for the Barbuda Council told Observer yesterday the body had no comment to make until members had received further details of the incident.
