Bart Jones Confirms He Ordered Barry Flowers’ Interdiction

Serious questions tonight about how a police officer on leave managed to sign out a firearm from the Special Patrol Unit. That officer is Barry Flowers, and Acting Commissioner Bart Jones says the case is now under both criminal and internal investigation. Jones made it clear, if any officer is found in breach of duty, they’ll face a disciplinary tribunal. He also assured that every angle of this case will be reviewed before any final decisions are made. But one big question came up: who authorized Flowers’ interdiction? Jones didn’t hesitate; he said that call was his. Here’s how he explained that decision.

 

Bart Jones, Acting Commissioner of Police

“I will say this, though, that there are many instances where police officers have run afoul of the law, and it has been police officers who charged them and put them before the court. So if it means that a police officer may have reneged his duty, if that is the findings, then he will be put before a disciplinary tribunal, as the case may be. So we’ll just wait to see what the results are of the investigation will be.”

 

Reporter

“Can you say who was behind the decision to put him on interdiction? Because we have asked both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Home Affairs, and they say it wasn’t their call.”

 

Bart Jones

“Well, the call actually was mine. After we have what the evidence that have come forward thus far, where it is– he has been identified as the only person so far. And so with that I thought that it was sufficient to put him on interdiction while the investigation continues. And as I said that this is the same that occurs whenever a police officer, to the extent that there’s some credible information, that they may be involve in a crime, we will normally put them on interdiction. So I signed that interdiction.”