Relatives: Police shooting victim was suing the State

ISRAEL CLINTON, one of the three men killed by police on Saturday was, years ago, a victim of a police beating that left him in hospital for weeks, relatives said.

At the Forensic Science Centre in St James, relatives told Newsday that Clinton was beaten six years ago, during the investigation of a vehicle that police believed might have been stolen.

“They fractured his jaw, his leg was in a cast for a while. His ribs were cracked. He remained in the hospital for three weeks. Then they charged him and put him in prison,” a relative said.

Newsday was told he was eventually acquitted of charges of theft laid against him, and he proceeded to sue the state for police brutality. The cases are still pending.

The matters were confirmed by attorney, Wayne Sturge, while speaking to Newsday over the phone.

Sturge said he also sent a pre-action protocol letter to police after they seized a quantity of money from him, but he is now unable to take further action.

Relatives said, since he was acquitted of the charges he had been targeted by police.

“Whether he was wrong or right, whether he was in a melee or not they would target him. He could just be walking by and they see him they would stop him. We don’t know if it is something personal or not but they targeted him,” another relative said.

Relatives told Newsday, Clinton, who turned 27 in February, had left with Noel Diamond and another man to get drinks to celebrate Diamond’s birthday, when they were stopped by police and eventually shot dead.

They said, he had plans to meet with the eldest of his three children afterwards, whom relatives affectionately called “Pinky.”

But all his plans were dashed when police shot him.