Relatives of 6 slain suspects seek answers from cops: 'Wrong is wrong, right is right'

The relatives of the six robbery suspects killed by police on August 14 have formed a support group and intend to push for independent autopsies.

The relatives gathered at the Forensic Science Centre in St James on August 16 to identify the bodies of the victims.

They will return on Monday as the autopsies were not done because of a backlog at the institution.

The families gathered and exchanged phone numbers as they told media they had questions they believed might not be answered on Monday.

A relative of Isaiah Olivierre said the group would consider getting legal advice and would not stop until they got justice for their loved ones.

The six were killed hours after an early-morning home invasion in Couva on August 14.

In a statement on August 15, police said officers from the Couva CID and the Central Division Task Force tracked the suspects to Razack Trace, Freeport.

Police said they saw a Toyota Aqua reportedly linked to the robbery, and when they announced themselves, the suspects shot at them. Police shot back injuring the six.

The five men and the teen girl were taken to the Couva Health Facility, where they were pronounced dead.

They have been identified as Jovan Simon, 31, of Diamond Village, Claxton Bay; Nicholas Caesar; brothers Saleem John, 19, and Kevon John, 23, of Sum Hill, Claxton Bay; Isaiah Olivierre, 21, of Maturita Marie Avenue, Arima; and Salome Ranghill, 16, of George Street, La Romaine.

Olivierre’s uncle who identified himself only as James said the families did not intend voice an opinion on whether their children were good or bad.

He said their main grievance was how the six were killed and the lack of transparency around their shooting which has left them feeling uncomfortable.

He accused the police of executing the suspects and treating them like animals.

“Whatever you think of the individuals at the end of the day, you expect that justice will take its course. Whatever anybody does, there should be justice, but that's not justice. Whatever the crimes may be or not be, that is not the way we should be going about the law in TT.”

He said there were questions the police still had not answered about the shooting.

“Who authorised what the police did, and what process did they take? When they found the car, did they try to question them, arrest them, speak to them about their rights, tell them what they are accused of or what they might be charged for?”

A relative of Caesar said the police’s version of events raised even more questions.

“If it is a large scale shootout as they say it is, why no police ent get shoot? Why no police vehicle ent pick up no shots? Why none of the neighbours’ walls have bullet holes? And why were they all dragged out from one room?"

James said the families were unwilling to accept the police's side of the story.

“We as citizens, parents and loved ones must sit back and say, ‘Okay. Well that happened and that is how it is.’ No! Somebody has to stand up and speak, and we are demanding that justice takes place.”

Simon’s father called for the Police Commissioner to get involved in the investigation into the killings.

“When the police doing their work. Do it in the right way. The children could have been cautioned they didn’t have to be executed. Everybody has to get involved because this has to go higher.”

James said the Police Complaints Authority had already contacted some family members and the group is considering hiring any professional who could help them through the process.

“We'll get support in terms of counselling, whether it's spiritual support, whether it's therapy we need, and legal support. But we're going to unite and fight.”

As long as justice will take, we will take our time and we will get what we have to get out of it. The families are going to stick together and support each other. Something has to happen for something to change in this country.”

Asked to respond to members of the public who had no sympathy for the slain suspects or might condone extra-judicial killings, James said he once felt the same way but his perspective had changed.

He compared extra-judicial killings to gang behaviour as he noted the effect on innocent civilians.

“I used to subscribe to that kind of thinking myself and say, ‘You can’t play mas and fraid powder.’ But when you have people who are charged with the responsibility of upholding the law, acting in that kind of way, what are you telling the public? Is it that gangs are ruling TT? Is it that we can't fight them so the answer is to join them?

“As far as we know, there were innocent people who died. The young lady didn't have to die, but she was there at the house. Maybe she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. So will we condemn all of them and that's how we will handle the law?”

He said extra-judicial killings, just like gang wars, will lead to revenge killings.

“Two wrongs don't make a right. Whether the gangster shooting or the police doing extra-judicial killings, wrong is wrong and right is right. We have got to get it right.”

James said extra-judicial killings are the end result of a failed society.

“The police, the families, the institutions, the churches, the schools, all of those parties that are supposed to build a citizen and a society have failed these children. We have an education system that failing us.

“So now that we have failed them, will we just wipe out all the failures? Should we just kill them? And whether it’s a gangster or the police who killed them, it is okay? It's not okay! It's a human life. And we have to stop and think that this is mayhem.”