Couple killed in Bamboo as police killings continue to rise

POLICE killed a man and his girlfriend in Bamboo Village, Valsayn less than 12 hours after Police Complaints Authority director David West described the increase in police shootings this year as disturbing.

At around 4.50 am on March 21, police from the Anti-Corruption Unit went to a two-storey house with apartments at Samaroo Trace, Bamboo No 3, as part of their investigation into allegations of extortion.

Police said they entered the compound and someone in a ground floor apartment began shooting at them. They shot back in keeping with the use-of-force policy.

Police say two people, a man and a woman, were injured. They were taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope where they both died.

The man has been identified as Paul Bacchus and the woman, who neighbours identified as Bacchus’s girlfriend Andraz Rodriguez, is believed to be a non-national.

Their deaths bring the number of people dead as a result of police-involved shootings to 23, compared to nine for a similar period last year.

DCP Martin: Unjustified killings will not be tolerated

DCP Suzette Martin, in a statement on March 21, hours after the killings, said the increase in fatal police shootings are “thoroughly reviewed and investigated.”

She added police have implemented some measures as part of their commitment to transparency and accountability.

Martin said these include thorough investigations by first division officers, enhanced training and de-escalation strategies, the use of body cameras, community engagement and trust-building, and psychological support and assessment.

Martin said, “While we must acknowledge the difficult realities officers face in combating crime, we also reaffirm that the excessive or unjustified use of force will not be tolerated.”

She said called on the public to work wit the police as they remain committed to upholding the rule of law, respecting human rights, and maintaining public trust and confidence.

“Let us all work together to prevent unnecessary loss of life. I urge every person in our country to choose peace, compliance, and dialogue over violence and confrontation.”

In separate interviews with Newsday on March 20, acting CoP Junior Benjamin and Police Welfare Association (TTPSSWA) president Gideon Dickson both said the figures may be misleading.

They said police are doing more exercises than usual and this may be contributing to the increased number of confrontations between police and criminals.

“We have done 4,045 operations in less than three months. That is more than 1,000 operations a month,” said Benjamin.

He added, “Police are confronting crime and obviously, when we confront crime with such aggression, you are going to find those who seek to oppose the police.”

Dickson noted the link between the state of emergency (SoE) and the increased numbers of police killings.

“We must be mindful that 2024 was a landmark year in terms of murders in TT. It’s our highest numbers, and at the end of 2024, it triggered a state of emergency because of the level of crime, criminality and murders that were going unabated.”

Neighbours: He was a polite guy

Meanwhile, Bacchus’s neighbours say while they know he had some trouble with the law in his past, he was always pleasant.

One said Bacchus regularly visited friends who live on the street, but moved into the area a few months ago.

“We are very sad…. He was never a disrespectful person, or a threat to anybody.

“He always used to be around and he never showed anybody no bad face. What people claim him to be, we never knew him to be that. He was very humble and never disrespect anybody.”

Several admitted knowing about Bacchus’s history of involvement in crime, but said those days appeared to be long behind him.

“He had his run-ins with the law and he was known to the police but it was just some car incidents. Nothing dangerous. He wasn’t out there killing or kidnapping.”

They said based on their interactions with him, they never expected the news they received.

“We feel disappointed because we never knew him to be that kind of person. He had his ways before, but as much as I knew there was no reason for it go down like that.”

They suggested he was trying to let go of his criminal past and turn over a new leaf.

They said he even got a job as a tradesman.

“He recently started doing plumbing with a guy. The man he works with came to pick him up this morning because he didn’t even know what had happened.”

Neighbours said contrary to social media comments, Bacchus was not “hiding out” in the area.

“I saw him out the road last night about 10.45 pm buying food.

“Thinking about it, he wasn’t hiding, because he was out there in the open public, living like a normal person.”