Policeman to pay $500,000 in restitution in Shortwood Road assault case

A policeman who hit a man on the head with a baton during an incident along Shortwood Road in St Andrew in 2024 has agreed to pay the man $500,000 in restitution.

The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) reported that the agreement was reached in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Thursday as part of a restorative justice session involving the complainant and Constable Maurice Hylton, who had been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The money is to be paid this month.

As part of the agreement, the Crown withdrew its cross-case against the complainant, and the police officer formally pleaded not guilty.

All parties were subsequently discharged from the court.

Hylton was brought before the court on May 27, 2025, following an investigation by INDECOM and a ruling from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

It is alleged that Constable Hylton used excessive force against the complainant when he struck him on the head with a baton.

The incident, which occurred on July 30, 2024, was captured in a video recording.

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