Family of Tacarigua teen killed by police has questions: Why did you kill him?

FOUR families whose relatives were killed by police, including a teenager killed on Friday night, are calling for justice for the deaths of their loved ones.

On Sunday, three of the four families held a candlelight vigil outside Republic Bank, Independence Square, to commemorate the first anniversary of two teenagers, both 17. and a 21-year-old being killed in an alleged shootout last year.

On July 2, 2022, police said in keeping with their use-of-force policy, they returned fire at a white Toyota Aqua which was involved in an earlier incident. They killed Leonardo Williams, Fabien Richards and Isaiah Roberts.

The autopsy on the three said they had been shot from behind, multiple times.

On Sunday, the family of Jorel Jordan Nathan had questions for the police. Nathan, 19, was killed in an alleged shootout with police on Friday night.

Newsday visited Nathan's home at Ragooraj Street, Tacarigua and spoke with his grandmother, uncle and older sister.

They described Nathan, who was also called "Reddo," as someone not involved in criminality. Ann Nathan said he grew up in a Christian home. She was the most vociferous in her pleas for justice.

"At the end of the day, the main thing I want is for them to give me justice for my grandson. That was murder! They murder my grandson."

Adamant that Nathan's killing was unjust, his paternal grandmother said minutes before the killing, Nathan was at home and was called out by a friend, whom police later arrested.

"He was home in his room and he get a call from his friend. He get hold from police early this week, but they let him go.”

In a media release on Sunday, police said Nathan was declared dead on arrival at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope.

The release said at about 9.05 pm, officers on mobile patrol received a report of suspicious activities at Dinsley Village.

They found a group of men tampering with a Nissan Sylphy. The release said the men ran off into a nearby house and shot at the officers, who returned fire, fatally wounding the teen.

A revolver and four rounds of .38 ammunition were recovered.

Seven people, including a 19 and 25-year-old woman, were later held.

Nathan’s uncle Steve said his nephew was arrested on Monday and released on Wednesday. He was being questioned in relation to a report of a robbery that took place on January 5.

Before he was arrested, his grandmother said, he told her there were people who wanted to frame him for the robbery. She said the day of the robbery, her grandson attended the funeral of a friend who was murdered two weeks earlier.

“He wanted to do masonry,” she said. She said when that did not happen, he studied electrical installation at MIC.

“At first he did not like it, but then he would come home with his books and show me all that he used to do in school.”

Nathan's uncle said when he was called by the friend, he saw when the police turned into the street, but did not hear any gunshots.

Nathan’s sister, Jeuel, said they only found out he was dead on Saturday, after checking with two different police stations.

She said the police have not returned his slippers or his cellphone.
Nathan's grandmother said all she was concerned about was that police killed her grandson and were claiming he was involved in crime.

“Why did they come at him like that? What I am saying is I want justice because they murder my grandson. That was pure murder and why allyuh (police) putting things to dirty somebody’s name and dirty his character?”

She said the eight shots her grandson received were overkill.

The three said they will visit the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) on Monday.