Relatives ask police after Chaguanas shooting: Where is the body cam footage?

RELATIVES of police shooting victim Randy Gobin are asking where is the body camera footage of the incident that claimed his life.

A relative, who did not wish to be named, told Newsday he has several suspicions that police may be hiding something about the police-involved killing.

The relative was at the Forensic Science Centre, Federation Park, on January 31.

“What I am saying is, where is the footage from the body cams that the police are supposed to be wearing? Bring the body cams forward from when you were chasing the vehicle to the end.

"I don’t even know if they were wearing them, but the government provided that for you, so you are supposed to be wearing them.”

Police said that at about 8 pm on January 23 four men entered the Da Hua Chinese Supermarket on Welcome Road North, Longdenville, Chaguanas and announced a hold-up. They threatened the cashier with a gun and took a quantity of cash before escaping in a Toyota Axio.

Central Division Task Force officers, led by ASP Rambhani Dipchand responded to the report of the robbery. They spotted the suspects driving west along Ragoonanan Road and chased them.

During the chase the men reportedly fired at the police, who returned fire, wounding those in the car.

The car veered off the road and crashed on Koonoo Avenue. Two men got out and ran off. The other three were taken to hospital, where they died.

The relative also complained of delays in retrieving Gobin's body.

“Since they killed him it is problems to get his body. They took nine days before they brought the body for me to identify him and up to now, I haven’t gotten the body to bury.

“The only reason they are doing this is because he was the victim of a police shooting. If it were a regular incident, I would have his body already.”

The relative said the delays in releasing the body to the family only raised more questions for the family over the police-involved incident.

“I feel as though they are trying to cover up something. But I already know what is happening,” the relative said.

Police sources told Newsday one of the officers did have an active body cam.