Family feud leads to police-involved shooting

A series of events stemming from a family feud led to an off-duty police officer shooting a 27-year-old Port of Spain man on February 8.

Police reports said PC Padmore was on Independence Square, Port of Spain, at about 5.10 pm, when he saw a man with a cutlass chasing a bleeding man.

Padmore shouted at the aggressor to stop, but he allegedly charged at him with the cutlass. Fearful for his life, police said Padmore drew his licensed personal firearm and fired one shot at the man, hitting him in the upper left arm.

Police said the shot caused the magazine in the gun to shatter, sending several rounds of 9mm ammunition in all directions.

Officers from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and the Guard and Emergency Branch responded and helped to detain the suspect.

Padmore was able to retrieve all but two of his issued 9mm rounds.

The injured men were taken to the Port of Spain General Hospital for treatment.

Investigations later revealed that the fight stemmed from a family feud.