Police kills man in enemy territory

JENSEN LA VENDE

Relatives of Caylle Coker, who was shot dead after he failed in his robbery and murder attempt of an off-duty police officer, believe he was murdered by “friends” and his body dumped.

Speaking with the Sunday Newsday at their Maturita Road home yesterday, the women said Coker, 19, was a former warehouse attendant at a furniture store. According to the women, he was last seen cooking a meal of dumplings and curried chicken, next they heard, he was dead. While they have been informed that he was involved in a police shooting, the women still have questions, the main one being: where is the gun he would have used to rob and shoot PC Kern Williams?

According to police reports, Williams, the nephew of acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams, was parked on Maturita Extension Road around 9.40 pm on Friday night waiting for a friend, when Coker approached him demanding money. Police said Williams, attached to the Southern Division Task Force, handed over his wallet and after checking it Coker demanded more cash. At this time, Williams drew his gun and, before he could shoot, was shot at with a bullet grazing his temple.

Williams then returned fire, hitting Coker in the upper body before driving himself to the Arima Health Facility. He was later transferred to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex. Police said they believed Coker had a 9mm pistol, however, since the crime scene was not secured following the shooting, no firearm was recovered at the scene and they suspected someone might have taken the gun and fled.

The circumstances surrounding Coker’s death puzzles relatives who said the area he was killed was not somewhere he would go, far less, armed with a firearm. They described the area as enemy territory. Coker, they said, was a man who kept to himself. He was described as “a real bess cook” who liked being indoors. They said he was never involved in criminal activity and was never arrested.