Western Division police shoot, kill man

AN UNIDENTIFIED man did not heed the warning several days ago from Police Commissioner Gary Griffith as he engaged the police and was shot dead yesterday afternoon.

According to police, at 5.15 pm Western Division officers responded to reports of a gunman in the Hillaire Drive, Diego Martin area who reports claimed had broken into several houses. Officers spotted a man who on seeing them, is said to have pointed his gun in their direction. He was shot several times by the police.

The man ran a short distance before collapsing in the nearby Diego Martin River. He was taken to the St James Medical Facility where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

During an interview on CNC3’s Morning Brew, on October 26, a day after police killed five people, including two teenagers during a shootout, Griffith said his officers will shoot to kill. On October 25, police killed the five in a shootout at a house in Trou Macaque, Laventille.

The men, two of whom were murder suspects, were playing cards when police arrived. During the shootout, one officer was shot in the chest but was saved by his bulletproof vest. The five killed are Shakeem Francois, 15; Kudeim Phillips, 17; Shaundell St Clair, 20; Nicolas Barker and Mechak Douglas.

Griffith said during the television interview: “I wish to again plead with those people who have gone in the wrong direction, that the TTPS...we will outgun you. We have greater fire-power, better training and numerical superiority. It is not the way to go to challenge the TTPS.”