Mother of woman, 21, killed by police: A cop threatened my daughter

THE mother of 21-year-old Jody Barath, killed by police early on the morning of August 11, claims her daughter was threatened by an officer 12 hours before her death.

On August 12, Newsday visited Dookiesingh Street Extension and was greeted with flash flooding, which turned the community's road into muddy terrain.

The Barath family were much more welcoming, as they gathered outside talking and welcomed Newsday inside for the interview.

Kamla Barath described her 21-year-old daughter and mother of one as "quiet and humble."

"I can't complain that she was bad and unruly or anything like that."

She said when her daughter was in her early teens, she dreamt she would die at the age of 20.

This dream was dismissed by her daughter on multiple occasions, as just that, a dream.

Kamla explained, "Last Saturday evening Jody came, as she asked her father to pick her up from her in-laws.

"She said she was spending the night here.

"Her birthday was the week before and she didn't get to fully celebrate it so she said she was going out with friends."

Kamla said her daughter told her she was going to a club named D 59 Bar & Lounge and would be back home around 10 pm.

When Barath arrived at her mother's home around 3 pm on August 10, she told her mother she had "news for her."

Her mother frantically recalled her daughter's story.

"The police officer stop and tell me they going to kill me you know! They going to kill me! They say they going to shoot me," Barath had said.

Kamla said her daughter explained when the threats were issued, she began looking around, but the officer specified her daughter from her red hair.

She claimed Barath said the officer told her, "You red head, you red head, you have to dead! We will kill you!"

Kamla told her daughter to report it to the police station as she considered it "a serious threat."

Her daughter declined, out of fear.

"She said she would go report it tomorrow, but if she had gone that same time, they would've had it recorded at the police station that she was threatened."

Kamla said Barath and her friends then went out as planned later on August 10.

She said around 10.15 pm, Barath called and said she was "coming home just now."

Barath said her daughter left money for her father to buy milk and pampers for her two-year-old daughter. She reminded him to do so did during that same phone call.

Barath said that was the last time she spoke with her daughter.

"I get a message from her boyfriend around 4.30 am that police gunned down a car (sic) by the cremation site and they believed Jody was in the car."

Relatives: Police, witnesses tell different stories

A police report said around 4.40 am on August 11, four officers were on patrol on the road near the Caroni Cremation site when they got a tip of a white Nissan Almera transporting guns.

The officers said they saw the car speeding on the same road and tried to stop them when the Almera hit the front left side of the marked police vehicle (PEC 5729).

Police said two gunshots and flashes of light were heard and seen from the driver's side of the Almera. Officers then, in accordance with police policy, became fearful for their lives and returned fire.

Police said officers then found Amir Bissoon, 16, in the driver's seat, Barath in the front passenger seat and Joseph Ramjit in the left back seat of the Almera.

All three were shot and wounded.

The officers took the trio to the Eric Williams Science Centre where they were pronounced dead on arrival at 5.14 am.

Police said they recovered a black pistol from the driver's side of the Almera.

Police said Bissoon was a known member of the Resistance Gang, while Ramjit was also said to be affiliated with the same gang.

The police report said the marked police vehicle had a dent on the front left fender and three "visible" gunshot holes on the front of the vehicle.

Dookiesingh Street Extension residents claim eyewitnesses gave a different version of the events.

A resident, who did not want to be named, told Newsday that on the night of the incident, three cars, including the Almera, left the neighbourhood together.

The occupants of all three cars were going bar and club hopping as a group.

"There were about 10-12 people who went to lime, because when one person liming, everyone does want to go," the resident said.

"They (occupants of the other cars) were saying that the police were following them all night."

The resident claimed eyewitnesses said one police jeep was following the cars, while another was parked waiting to intercept them on the road near the Caroni Cremation site.

"The police ram him – it was a front-on collision," the resident claimed.

"They ended up off the road and the police shoot up the car."

The resident also claimed the car the trio was in, was in the second of the three-car convoy of limers. He said occupants of the third car saw the collision and stopped to find out what had happened.

"The police told the third car to keep it moving," the resident said, adding that its occupants complied with the instruction.

"A few moments later, they heard gunshots."

Relative of slain 16-year-old boy:

On August 12, a female relative of Bissoon who did not want to be named told Newsday he was an outgoing and loving person.

"He was always happy and laughing."

Bissoon live a stone's throw away from the Barath family home.

The relative said Bissoon was doing odd jobs, mostly, "Scrap-iron things as the back here has scrap-iron (business)."

She said it was normal for Bissoon to go lime with his friends.

"It was Barath's birthday recently and they decided to go make this lime with all the friends."

Barath and Bissoon grew up next to each other, attending the same primary school. Barath's family said she viewed Bissoon as her brother.

The relative of Bissoon said she was "real mad" about the shooting.

"Something not adding up with them police and them.

"They stating a set of things, a whole bunch of different stories I hearing and nothing not adding up."

Newsday asked about the claims of Bissoon being in a gang and allegations of him having/holding guns.

"I would say, to my knowing, that he was not in any gang. I wouldn't know.

"I never see him with any gun."

She does not expect to get any justice after the killings.

"Nothing does go right in the justice system."

She does hope, however, the truth comes out one day.

"All this 'them say' and 'they say' it have, and the social media will sort itself."

Barath's two-year-old daughter was playfully running around the family's home on August 12, even drawing in Newsday's notepad during the interview with her relatives.

When asked who will take care of her now, Kamla replied.

"She have the grandparents on the father side and she has me and her grandfather.

"We have not come to a decision yet as her father is still around, but most of the time the child is with me."

Barath said when she went to work, her granddaughter stayed by her other grandparents.

She is praying she gets justice for her daughter, but blames the system for her doubts.

"I don't believe it have any justice in this country. Zero!"

Both Bissoon and Barath's relatives had not received communication from the police at up to 4 pm on August 12.

The Barath family had visited the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) earlier that day.

"An officer at the PCA said two sets of police was supposed to visit already.

"A social worker was also supposed to come to see the child and we was to get counselling."

Kamla had another complaint as she claimed her daughter's jewellery was missing.

"At the hospital I asked for her belongings. They gave me all her clothes – a sneakers, a pants and her top.

"She had on real (a lot of) jewels in her hands because she is a child that loved jewels."

Kamla said Barath left home with eight rings on her fingers (excluding her both thumbs) and her ears pierced two-three times on each ear and two-three gold chains.

"I ain't get back nothing, neither she iPhone."

A female relative also claimed that during the day on Sunday, Barath had appeared to be active on her phone.

"This time she is stone dead," said Kamla.

Police said enquiries and investigations were continuing.

Newsday tried to visit Ramjit's family but they were not home at the time.

Bissoon and Barath's autopsies are scheduled to take place at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, on August 13.