HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Two women shared their experiences with police to lawmakers following an oversight hearing for the Guam Police Department.
After nearly three hours of hearing testimony from GPD leadership Wednesday afternoon, Sen. Chris Barnett, the public safety chair of the 37th Guam Legislature, allowed members of the public to give testimony.
The two women to testify were Veronica Patao, an alleged victim of police brutality, and Carol Anderson, whose son Xavier Tedtaotao was fatally shot by police in November 2020. Each had a story to tell.
Patao told The Guam Daily Post in September last year, that she and her husband were detained at the Dededo precinct, assaulted by officers and arrested. At Wednesday’s hearing, she said she came in hopes of being a voice for others who had been assaulted by police officers.
One of those alleged victims, Patao said, was the late attorney Peter Sgro. Patao brought a photo of Sgro and displayed it to senators during her testimony. Present with Patao was Anthony Smith, another alleged victim of police brutality.
“I would like to believe that I serve as an advocate for many who have remained silent and cower because they are afraid of retribution or they’re afraid of being singled out or being picked on,” Patao said.
Patao also commended the senators for proposing bills related to body cameras for officers and surveillance cameras in each of the precincts.
After Patao heard testimony from GPD regarding the investigation of officers of these complaints, she proposed another idea that could help with keeping officers from “investigating themselves.”
“What about the possibility of forming a committee comprised of citizens, non-biased, possibly (including) an attorney, for people that can and want to come in and make complaints against officers. That would be what I bring to the table and to see as you brainstorm and do soul searching this could be something that could come to fruition,” Patao said.
Anderson
Anderson was the next person to testify after also waiting for several hours to share her desire for answers about the death of her son. Tedtaotao was shot 23 times and killed by police officers on Nov. 23, 2020.
Anderson expressed frustration with the lack of answers she had received since Tedtaotao’s death, which was determined through several investigations to have been justified.
“I never got a call from GPD to identify him. I’ve never gotten a call from anyone. No apologies. I’ve never gotten any answers why my son was shot and killed the way he was,” said Anderson, who sought answers from the officer who fired the shots.
“I don’t know who the officer (is). … I ask just to meet him and look at him and just ask why (did) you have to shoot my son like that? Why do you got to kill a person like that?” said Anderson in her emotional testimony.
After Anderson’s testimony, Barnett said he was “at a loss for words” but committed to assisting Anderson in getting closure.
“I’ll follow up with the chief (Stephen Ignacio), … anything for closure for you,” Barnett said.
Seated with family, Carol Anderson displays a poster of her late son, Xavier Anderson Tedtaotao, during a Guam Police Department oversight hearing at the Guam Congress Building in Hagåtña on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. Tedtaotao was fatally wounded during a 2020 officer-involved shooting.
