PCA still probing police killings in June

THE Police Complaints Authority’s probe into the police killing of three men in Second Caledonia, Morvant, in June, is still ongoing.

Sources also said the PCA will not comment on the investigation until it is completed.

On June 27, police said a team of officers from the Port of Spain Division were on patrol at Juman Drive, Second Caledonia, when they saw a Nissan Tiida. They stopped the car and claimed a man in the back seat shot at them, so they shot back.

Those killed were killing Joel Jacobs, Noel Diamond and Israel Clinton.

The killings, which were captured on a home security camera and shared on social media hours afterwards, led to widespread protests over three days. There were violent confrontations between protesters and police in Port of Spain and several other areas.

Investigators have already secured the video footage and obtained evidence from key witnesses and intend to get statements from the dozen officers involved, as well as forensic reports on the autopsies of the three victims, ballistic reports and other scientific evidence.

On August 25, the PCA said in a statemen that it had completed its preliminary investigation into a police shooting at Trou Macaque, Laventille, on October 25, 2018. Its findings were sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for further action.

In that incident, Shakeen Francois, 15, Kadeem Phillip, 17, Shaundell St Clair, 20, Mishack Douglas, 22, and Nicholas Barker, 23, were playing cards when they were shot by members of the Inter Agency Task Force.

DPP Roger Gaspard did not respond to questions on the status of the PCA’s recommendations.