Marigot: --- The family of an elderly woman is annoyed and most of all hurt by the way the gendarmes entered their elderly mother's house and almost killed her since she is a heart patient. Sheila Dolores Maccow 70 years and her two children Lona Maccow and Francois Maccow told members of the media that on Friday morning a number of gendarmes many dressed in black clothing broke down the back door of her home apparently looking for someone.
Mrs. Maccow said she lives alone and about 6am she was busy making her bed up when she heard a loud bang on her door. The woman said before she knew it the gendarmes broke down her door and they entered her bedroom where she was and placed a gun at her back pushing her with the weapon and told her to get out of the house.
The woman said when she got out of the bedroom she saw a number of gendarmes in her kitchen and her hall, however, she went outside of the house as told by the gendarmes and that point she noticed the gendarmes had her son Francois aka "Cutie" on the ground with a gun forced in his back. Mrs. Maccow said when she saw the position the lawmen had her son in she fell down. She said she did not know what had happened next. The elderly woman said after a while she realized she was in an ambulance and she asked the gendarmes and other persons with her where they were taking her and they said to the hospital.
Lona Maccow the woman's daughter said she was called on her job and was told of the incident since her mother was conscious when she reached the hospital. Lona said her mother refused the treatment at the hospital because she once had a heart attack and she wanted to make sure her doctor knew what they were doing. Lona said the doctors at LC Fleming Hospital gave her mother a letter to go to her house doctor and they immediately took her to see him who said the elderly woman suffered a slight heart attack due to the shock. She said her brother who also suffers with his back also had to be taken to the hospital where an ex-tray was done to determine the extent of his injuries.
Lona said the gendarmes then returned to the house about 9 am the same morning and conducted a search however; they did not take anything away from the home. She said the gendarmes told them they were looking for a bad person whose name they gave as Flanders and who is considered to be a dangerous person. However, the gendarmes did not have a photograph or anything of the wanted man except to say they got information that he was living in their mother's house which is located at number 40 Rue de Hollande St. James.
Lona said her mother had suffered a heart attack sometime ago and she has to do therapy for her medical condition. The distraught daughter said her mother does her treatment on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and on the morning in question she got up early so that she can prepare herself before the therapist arrived at their home. The woman said her brother who lives upstairs came downstairs to rescue his mother but the gendarmes held him to the ground with a gun placed in his back. Lona said she does not know who the suspect is and so far the gendarmes cannot locate him. However, three gendarmes went back to her home on Monday and apologized to the elderly woman telling her they made a mistake with the house. Lona said on Wednesday evening she received another phone call from Gendarme Patrice who asked her how the meeting with Mr. Mussington, and Richardson went. She said she told the officer she did not know what he was talking about.
The family said they do not intend to file any complaint against the gendarmes however; they want to tell their story because they do not want this to happen to anyone else.
Also at the press conference was territorial councilor Alain Richardson who condemned the way the gendarmes handled the case. Richardson said on Friday the family was looking for him but they did not see him. He said about 9 am while on his way to work he did noticed three gendarmes in a car including commandant Stephanne Arrousseau and it is then the woman's daughter told him of the ordeal. Richardson said he immediately visited the elderly woman. 
Richardson said from the very beginning even though it was clear that the family was very much hurt by the incident they have no intention to take legal actions against the gendarmes even though they have grounds for a strong case. He said he considers this to be use of excessive force as well as mistaken identity. Richardson said based on this ordeal the woman could have lost her life innocently. He said he believes if the gendarmes are going to raid someone's house they would have the basics which are a warrant from the judge, and the correct information on the home that they intend to raid. He said if the gendarmes had conducted the necessary research they would have known who lived at the home and the age of the person that is living there. He said he know that the gendarme does not raid homes haphazardly. Richardson said he sees no reason why the gendarmes did not go to get one of Mrs. Maccow children prior to raiding the home.
Richardson said since the gendarmes apologized it is clear they made a mistake. Richardson said it is clear that they are using excessive force. He said there are cases when the gendarmes are going to certain neighborhoods they go as if they intend to terrorize that particular neighborhood. Richardson said this type of attitude is not helping the situation. The territorial councilor acknowledged that there are guns and danger on the island and the gendarmes have to protect themselves. Richardson said that the gendarmes have to make sure they don't create more problems and they should beware before this type of behavior backfires. He said that at this time the gendarmes have to also make sure they keep the population on their side so that they can fight crime.
In an invited comment Commandant Stephanne Arrousseau said that they did an investigation which showed that the suspect do resides at the house in question. He said the French law does not require for them to have a search warrant. Arrousseau said as officers of the law they are supposed to do their jobs and based on the investigations they had to visit the Maccow's house. Asked if he knew what happened to the elderly woman he said he is aware but the woman was given the necessary medical attention and up to the last time they saw her she was okay. He said he is also aware of the call that was placed by Gendarme Patrice on Wednesday night and the reason why they called is because they heard the family along with Richardson was going to hold a press conference.
