Law Association: Suspend cops in Morvant triple killing

Law Association president 
Douglas Mendes SC
Law Association president Douglas Mendes SC

Police Commissioner Gary Griffith should take immediate steps to suspend the dozen police officers who were involved in the shooting death of three men a week ago in Second Caledonia, Morvant, says the Law Association.

The advice came in a media statement on Sunday as a measure to protect the integrity of the police investigation and the independent probe being done by the Police Complaints Authority.

Members of the Council headed by Douglas Mendes, SC, after deliberating on the fatal police shooting and the death of a bystander during protest action which followed, said it was concerned about the sharp rise in the number of fatal police shootings and called for a speedy determination of the investigations into the case.

"These latest deaths at the hands of police officers come against the backdrop of a significant increase in police shootings over comparable periods in the past and is cause for deep concern," the statement said. The PCA has reported an 86 per cent rise in the number of people killed by police for the first six months of the year, which stands at 44.

The association’s suggestion to suspend the officers supports the position of the PCA which has publicly stated that the officers should not remain on active duty in their respective units during the probe.

"The PCA is of the view that the police officers who are accused of serious criminal conduct should not remain in the same units to which they were assigned prior to the allegations. There should be absolute impartiality and the appearance of it in the investigation of all allegations relating to police officers. If officers remain in the units in which they may have committed criminal offences, they will be perfectly poised to access confidential information relating to their own investigations. Additionally, the persons commissioned to investigate may be colleagues present in the said units whose loyalties may be tied to the relations they have with their colleagues. Lastly, allowing officers to remain in the units runs the risk of concealment and destruction of evidence," the PCA said, in response to a query from Newsday.

In its release, the Law Association suggested "the Commissioner is urged to take immediate steps to identify those officers who were involved in the shootings and, without making any determination as to guilt, send them on administrative leave so that the investigations may proceed without hindrance."

In response to similar calls, from the relatives of the three men who were killed, Griffith said last week there is not enough evidence to immediately suspend all 12 police officers involved in the shooting in which Joel Jacobs, Israel Clinton and Noel Diamond were killed.

At a press briefing at the Police Administration Building in Port of Spain on Wednesday, Griffith said he would not take sides but would deal with any police who might have breached the law during the incident.

Although Griffith repeated his stance on dealing with rogue police officers – that they should be fired – he said people could not take matters into their own hands or force him to take immediate action against the men involved.

Showing a short snippet of the six-minute video of what happened between police and the men, Griffith pointed out that not all officers were seen shooting.

“We are looking at a situation with a dozen police officers and people are telling me we should fire all immediately. Suppose there were 30, 50 or 100. Am I to totally send everyone home and suspend them?

The Law Association also called on the Commissioner "to review the policies which are currently in place governing police interactions with members of public and, in particular, those they may suspect of having been engaged in criminal activities."

"Emphasis should be placed on techniques which would de-escalate encounters and reduce tension in order to eliminate the occasions on which police officers feel compelled to resort to the use of firearms. As we have said on a previous occasion, the police are entitled in law to defend themselves when fired upon but recent events appear to put the need for containment training into sharp relief," it added.

The organisation also said the any investigation into the matters to determine whether a criminal charges should be laid should be done "in such a way that the public has confidence that it is independent and thorough."

It noted that the PCA should be given the necessary resources by those in authority to do its job as soon as possible. .

The PCA has stated that its powers are too limited to collect vital evidence, including forensic and firearm analysis from the police and often has to wait on the police to comply with its requests.

The Prime Minister, in response to the shooting and protests, has set up a committee to look into the complaints from residents in communities of Sea Lots, Beetham and Laventille who have repeatedly claimed they are unfairly treated by police because of their economic circumstances.

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"Law Association: Suspend cops in Morvant triple killing"

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