Father of footballer killed by police – No hope for justice

The father of 23-year-old talented footballer Jerry Morris, who was shot and killed by police on March 19 in Tunapuna, does not believe he will get any justice.

Sunday Newsday spoke to Hector Morris, 61, at his two-storey Arima home on March 22.

He said he never knew his son to be involved in illegal activities and believes his son's association with the wrong crowd led to his untimely death.

Up to March 22, Morris said neither the police, Police Complaints Authority (PCA) nor the Victim and Witness Support Unit has contacted him.

"I went to identify the body on March 20, but up to now, I have not done that. The police said they did not have an investigator and I can't view the body without them present."

He hopes to be able to identify his son on March 24. Morris said he does not expect anything to come out of the PCA's investigation.

The teary-eyed father of three said his son was a quiet individual who had a deep love for football.

"Look at all the trophies he won," pointing to an entertainment centre with his son's awards.

"He was a good person and I don't have anything bad to say about him."

Police said around 9.25 pm on March 19, they were chasing a red Nissan Versa on the Eastern Main Road after reports of a shooting in the area.

Police said the car made a U-turn by the St Joseph Bridge, near La Joya, and they were shot at.

As the chase continued on the Eastern Main Road, the car crashed in Tunapuna, near the market.

Police said after an exchange of gunfire they found two men in the car bleeding. The men were taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, where they were pronounced dead on arrival.

Morris was identified as one of the men, while the other has been identified as Terrell Lashley, also known as Tman.

A 56-year-old man from Five Rivers who was said to be an occupant of the car was arrested in the area and also taken to hospital. Another occupant of the car escaped.

Police said their vehicle involved in the chase, as well as the red car was taken to the Tunapuna Police Station for processing. Police said they found a pistol, revolver and a magazine with ammunition in the red car.

Morris recalled last seeing his son around lunchtime on March 19.

"He come on my bed and we were just ole talking, not about football but just ole talk.

"Then he went and take a sleep and I cooked for everyone home here. He got up and eat and he went back in his bed and I went in mine."

Morris said that around 6 pm, he left home to play football in an over-60 league in Edinburgh 500, Chaguanas.

He did not see or speak to his son after his son ate.

"The league now started and it was the first game. When I was coming back home is when I got the news."

Morris said it has been difficult for him, as he is still in shock.

"When I heard he was in that I couldn't believe it. I never know him to be in them things.

"These new friends he had, I don't know them at all, at all. I never even see them before."

Jerry's football career

Morris shared how his son began his footballing journey.

"I used to carry that child to all my football games growing up. That is essentially how he fell in love with it."

At the secondary school level, Jerry was a standout striker with San Juan North Secondary. During his time, the team won three consecutive Secondary Schools' Football League east-zone Intercol titles from 2017-19.

In 2021, Jerry took a scholarship opportunity with Coastal Bend College in Texas, US.

Less than a year later, he returned home owing to financial constraints as well as a knee injury sustained during his short stint.

Morris said, "It was taking a lot out of me to see about everyone. I wasn't getting any help, so my son couldn't fulfil the scholarship."

After his return to TT, he worked on regaining his full fitness.

At the time of his death, Jerry was in his second season with UTT, who plays in the second tier of the TT Premier Football League.

On March 20, UTT head coach Clayton Morris told Newsday he never knew Jerry to be involved in illegal activity.

He said the news came as a shock to him as Jerry did not turn up for practice on the night of March 19.

Jerry’s last training session with the UTT team was on March 17.

Police killings up

Between January 1 and March 19, there were 15 police-involved shooting incidents which left 21 people dead. That number increased to 23, as two more people were killed by police on March 21.

PCA director David West told Newsday on March 20 that the increase was "disturbing."

West concern stems from, “the fact that there has been no record of body-worn camera footage on any of the aforementioned incidents to date.”

He said bodycam footage was important in “determining the truth of a shooting.”

DCP Suzette Martin, in a statement on March 21, said the increase in fatal police shootings would be “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-worn cameras, community engagement and trust-building, and psychological support and assessment.

Martin said unjustified use of force by the police would not be tolerated. The government declared a state of emergency on December 30 to suppress gang-related activity. The SoE was extended fore three months by Parliament and expries on March 30.