Des Vignes: 'Take that door down'

RELATIVES of the five people who were killed by police last Thursday, and whose autopsies were postponed to today, were almost turned away once again after it was discovered that the door to the operating theatre, which was replaced last week, was jammed.

Thanks to the tenacity of pathologist Hughvon Des Vignes, all five autopsies were done, after he ordered the door taken down altogether.

Newsday was told when relatives arrived at the Forensic Science Centre, they were told at first that no autopsies could be done yesterday because the door was stuck.

“We came and sat inside the waiting room and we were told that the bodies had come on Friday afternoon, but the door was jammed so they were not doing autopsies today,” said relatives of Kudiem Phillip. “The pathologist himself did not know what was going on, but he ordered them to break down the door, because he needed to do his job.”

Sources at the FSC confirmed that the double steel door had been installed on Friday afternoon, and not only did it jam but may have been the wrong door, because it was supposed to have a porthole for family members to witness the autopsy.

Family members at the FSC saw workers moving the steel door out of the buildings. Newsday was told a replacement would be installed soon.

Autopsies done at the FSC on the bodies of 15-year-old Shekeem Francois, Kudeim Phillip, 17, Nicolas Barker, 23, Mechack Douglas, 26, and Shaundell St Clair, 20, all confirmed they died from multiple gunshot wounds.