There was high drama at the Norman Manley International Airport recently, after a man allegedly broke a policeman's finger because he did not want him to search his luggage.

Twenty-one-year-old Joel Bailey, of a Greater Portmore, St Catherine, address, was charged with assaulting the police, assault occasioning grievous bodily harm, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, along with abusive and calumnious language when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

It is alleged that on September 9, about 1:45 p.m., Bailey arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, to board a COPA airline flight to Panama.

security checks

While the police were making their security checks, the accused was stopped, interviewed and a search was requested for his luggage.

According to reports, Bailey refused to observe the procedure and allegedly uttered, "yow mi nuh like police enuh. Unuh a ..., unuh a sodomite, unuh think unuh can do me nuttin!"

He was then told by the lawman to desist the abusive language, however, he allegedly continued to be verbally abusive to the officer.

The officer then warned him about his behaviour, to which he reportedly approached the officer and at arms length, proceeded to point his finger in the officer's face and allegedly said, "police bwoy, mi wi tump yuh inna yuh face."

arresting him

Afterwards, the officer informed Bailey that he would be arresting him for the offences committed and attempted to arrest him, to which the accused allegedly used his right hand to hit the lawman on his ring finger, breaking it.

After injuring the policeman, Bailey reportedly began to behave in a boisterous and disorderly manner, and a crowd gathered shortly after.

Bailey was subsequently restrained and arrested with the assistance of other police officers and members of COPA Airlines and taken into custody.

Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey ordered Bailey to surrender his travel documents, a stop order was also made. He is to return to court on October 2.