Following many calls by the public to have Attorney Ryan Crawford answer to the court for verbally abusing a Traffic Officer who stopped him, the Police have instituted five charges which will be read to him today when he makes his appearance at the Mahaicony Magistrate’s Court.
According to a statement issued by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the learned Attorney will be arraigned for the Prohibition of Tinted Glass and failure to produce his driver’s licence. Additionally, he will also be arraigned on charges for driving an unfit motor vehicle, the use of obscene language and for his riotous behaviour.
Last week, the lawyer came under fire after the video which was posted by the officer showed Crawford heatedly refusing to comply with the requests of the officer, which was to hand over his motor vehicle documents and to wind up his
Embattled Attorney Ryan Crawford
tinted car window.
After being stopped on the East Coast Demerara (EDC) road, much to Crawford’s agitation, he proceeded to question the officer as to his reasoning for doing so. In the almost four-minute long video, the lawyer repeatedly used profane language at the officer as he questioned the rank’s legal grounds for stopping him.
Following the posting of the video, Crawford had taken to his Facebook page to make fun of the incident, even going as far as to market him. The Guyana Bar Association, however, in a statement to the press condemned Crawford’s actions but nevertheless highlighted the right of citizens against arbitrary stops by Traffic ranks.
It was only after this statement that the lawyer issued a public apology but added that he was not sorry for questioning arbitrary authority.
His apology stated “I am not trying to justify my behaviour. My language was not proper as an officer of the courts nor as a member of the Bar of Guyana. I apologise for my language, but I’m not sorry for questioning arbitrary authority”.
In his apology, Crawford also stated that it was his frustration that was the cause of his expletive rant, noting that he was only attempting to get his point across which is that he was illegally stopped. When he was questioned at the Whim Police Station earlier this week, it was unearthed that several of his documents were only recently renewed.
