Magistrate Archibold Warner called for an investigation into the Police Service after one of their own accused veteran detectives of abusing him during an arrest.

P.c. Rickie Marcus Joseph broke into tears at his trial for desertion on Tuesday as he recounted how he was allegedly assaulted by senior officers while in Police custody in an airport holding room.

P.c. Joseph was arrested on July 3 as he attempted to leave Bermuda on a flight for New York. While held at the airport, he alleges he was shoved by Det. Insp. Calvin Smith, strip searched and then pulled about by his handcuffs by Det. Sgt. Terrance Maxwell.

"At that time I requested to be formally cautioned. Det. Insp. Calvin Smith got off his desk where he was sitting," P.c. Joseph said. "He rushed towards me in an aggressive manner and shoved me in the right arm.

"He said to me: 'Shut the f*** up! What caution? The officers told you you don't have to say nothing'. Shortly after I made the phone call, Det. Sgt. Maxwell ordered me to take off my clothes and take my underwear off and then bend over in front of Insp. Smith."

"I was then handcuffed and placed in a cell. Sgt. Maxwell then came up to the cell, pulled me outside by my handcuffs. I stood outside a police vehicle and he just threw my baggage in the back, despite how I asked him to handle them with care.

"He then took me to the Hamilton Police station and placed me in a cell with a board that said 'no telephone calls and no visitors for this prisoner by order of the Commissioner of Police'.

In response to P.c. Joseph's testemony, Mr. Warner exclaimed: "If this evidence is true and this sort of treatment is coming from Police to their serving colleagues, we should look into other allegations made by other members of the public."

Later, Mr. Warner asked what right the police had to order "a look out" to ensure that Joseph didn't leave the island.

"What evidence of desertion did he have to put look-out on the defendant?" he asked, to which Director of Public Prosecutions Vinette Graham Allen said this was the result of information from P.c. DeSilva.

"So information from any liar would allow Police to impinge on people's rights? This man was a serving police officer!" Mr. Warner said, speaking rapidly and forcefully when interrupting Mrs. Graham-Allen. "There is no power to arrest in relation to an internal investigation.

"This Police force has dealt very shabbily with people's rights. That's why its not only me but others who have said that a commission should investigate the Police Force's conduct."

A formal complaint has been filed by Joseph against allegations Insp. Smith assaulted him.