Mother of teen killed by police: Not bad child, but loved a lot of friends

THE mother of Joseph Ramjit, 18, who was killed by police early on the morning of August 11 says his love for friends and possible "bad company" is what got him killed.

Alicia Blackwood spoke with the media at the Forensic Science Centre, St James on August 13 after identifying her son's body.

She described him as a disciplined and respectable child who loved having friends.

"He wasn't no bad child to say he was a bad child.

"He had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and loved music and loved his friends."

She said her son loved a lot of friends and "sometimes with bad company."

"He was never bad to anyone, he was always a good person."

Her voice somewhat cracking, she recalled her last interaction with her son.

"I had someone visiting me and he said 'I'm coming back just now'.

"I said okay, be safe."

It was there the two exchanged "I love you."

A resident of Dookiesingh Street Extension, St Augustine who did not want to be named, told Newsday on August 12 that on the night of the incident, three cars, including the Almera, left the neighbourhood together.

The occupants of all three cars were going bar and club hopping as a group.

Ramjit, 18, Amir Bissoon, 16, and Jody Barath, 21, were in one of the cars together.

A police report said around 4.40 am on August 11, four officers were on patrol on the road near the Caroni Cremation site when they got a tip of a white Nissan Almera transporting guns.

The officers said they saw the car speeding on the same road and tried to stop them when the Almera hit the front left side of the marked police vehicle (PEC 5729).

Police said two gunshots and flashes of light were heard and seen from the driver's side of the Almera. Officers then, in accordance with police policy, became fearful for their lives and returned fire.

Police said officers then found Bissoon, 16, in the driver's seat, Barath in the front passenger seat and Ramjit, 18, in the left back seat of the Almera.

All three were shot and wounded.

The officers took the trio to the Eric Williams Science Centre where they were pronounced dead on arrival at 5.14 am.

Police said they recovered a black pistol from the driver's side of the Almera.

Police said Bissoon was a known member of the Resistance Gang, while Ramjit was also said to be affiliated with the same gang.

The police report said the marked police vehicle had a dent on the front left fender and three "visible" gunshot holes on the front of the vehicle.

Blackwood denied the allegations of her son being in a gang and said he was a "normal child."

She said she would have preferred an alternative option by the police, as opposed to her reality.

"The police could've stop the car and let the children come out and take them to jail or whatever.

"But killing them it was uncalled for."

She said she understands the police have their job to do but hoped they themselves never had to face the death of their child.

Ramjit's father died when he was 18-months-old and Blackwood raised all three of her children as a single-parent – Ramjit being the youngest.

"I bring my children up in the right way and for this to come and happen.

"But God is in control."

She hopes the truth come out soon so that all parties involved can have some justice.

"I hope everything goes good and I get justice for my child."

Ramjit had aspirations of being an auto-mechanic, something Blackwood was saving for to send him to school.

"He lived with me and he did not have to work because I worked all the time as a housekeeper so he could have a comfortable life."

Blackwood said the only bad habit her son had was him smoking, which she had no issues with.

"It was never a problem to me because children do things and we did things when we were younger."

Ramjit, Bissoon and Barath's autopsies are scheduled for August 14 at the Forensic Science Centre, St James.