Congregation at shot man's funeral told: Don't blame the police

THERE was grief and anger amongst relatives and friends of Kern "Cava" Richards who came to pay their last respects to him at his family's home at Bouge Grande Chemin Road, Icacos on Friday.

Richards. 38, was shot dead by police last Friday. But at his funeral service later at St Patrick's RC Church in Fullarton, Dexter Mitchell told the congregation not to seek revenge or blame the police for Richards' death.

At Richards' house, several people cried as they stood next to his glass-covered casket. His mother Michelle wept as she sat next to the casket with her left hand on his right shoulder. Other relatives gathered around to comfort her.

Some touched his face, kissed his head, put a cigarette between his lips, sunglasses over his eyes and shared sips from a bottle of cognac that was freely passed around. In another part of the property, some mourners poured alcohol on boat engines, started and stopped them. Some of the mourners were Venezuelans.

Some mourners who came to the house wore T-shirts with the name "Cava" on them and words in English or Spanish. Later, during the funeral service, Mitchell described revenge as poisonous and not something to be pursued.

"Let's leave it to God."

He said, "We blame our insensitivity, we blame our inhumanity.But I also don't want you to blame the entire police service."

Mitchell said there are good and bad people in all professions.

"Don't look at every police officer as a bad police officer.

"Let's hope that the justice system in the country do what they have to do and never stop praying It is prayers that will carry you through."

Mitchell said he remembered Richards "as a loving person" and recalled some stories of their past interactions.

He said many opinions were expressed after Richards' death.

"We blame our insensitivity, we blame our inhumanity."

Mitchell said it was only when people find themselves in these situations, "we understand the pain that families go through in that kind of situation."