(Trinidad Express) Six police officers involved in the shooting deaths of three people in Moruga three months ago have been arrested by their colleagues in connection with the incident.
Best friends Abigail Johnson and Allana Duncan, along with construction worker Kerron “Fingers” Eccles, were shot dead by officers of the Southern Division CID and Robbery Squad on July 22.
The officers- five policemen and one policewoman who is the mother of a six- month-old baby—range between ages 24 and 35. One is a corporal while the others are constables.
A seventh officer, who was not at home when police showed up, was expected to surrender to police after he was told his colleagues had been detained. Up to late yesterday, however, the officer had not turned himself in to police.
The officers were held at their individual homes early yesterday as the investigation into the killings nears completion.
The Express was reliably informed by police sources the killings were captured on a surveillance camera at a nearby residence. This video footage, which is in the hands of the investigators, revealed that the trio did not open fire on the officers who claimed they were fired upon.
Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, in a statement to the Express yesterday, dismissed reports the officers were expected to be charged with the murders of Johnson, Duncan and Eccles.
He, however, stated that he has been in touch with the investigators in the matter and will soon make a determination after fully reviewing the file.
“I have met with and I have been advising the police in this matter. I don’t know anything about the ‘expectation’ of (murder) charges. At the appropriate time I will dispassionately evaluate the contents of the file when the investigation has been completed. To suggest otherwise, is to engage in prejudgment (and) I can’t go there,” Gaspard said.
Head of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), attorney Gillian Lucky, also confirmed that she had heard of the arrests but would make a full statement later today.
Lucky, who personally met with the relatives of the victims days after the incident, had been closely monitoring the police probe into the incident. She had promised the relatives that she would do all in her power to ensure there wasn’t a police cover up in the incident.
Lucky said, “I was made aware this (yesterday) morning that there were certain developments in the matter involving the killings in Moruga. As a result, I have asked that certain matters be clarified and I will be in a position to give a statement to the public tomorrow (today).”
Director of the Public Affairs Unit in the Police Service, Sharon Lee Assang, when questioned on the matter at yesterday’s daily briefing, said she wasn’t aware that officers had been arrested.
Told that the arrests had been broadcast on various news channel, and that journalists felt that when police officers are accused of crimes, the information is not disclosed to the public by the unit, Lee Assang said such information is not sent to the unit. She however promised to get information on the arrested police officers.
“I’m really surprised that we don’t have that information (and) we really have to find out why… I am speaking in general and I am speaking specific because if we are to continue to provide that information we need to be given it.”
“The mandate of the Public Affairs Unit is really to provide information on positive developments taking place within the service as well as to educate and inform the national community with regard to protect themselves. It’s really an avenue of communication,” Lee Assang said.
Lee Assang did fulfil her promise and later issued a press statement confirming that the officers had been arrested by a team of officers led by Assistant Commissioner Police (ACP), Raymond Craig of the Professional Standards Unit of the Police Service.
“ACP Craig is the senior investigator probing the deaths of Abigail Johnson, Allana Duncan and Kerron Eccles which occurred on July 22, 2011. Their arrest is a result of the incident which occurred relative to that matter.
“The officers, all formerly of the Robbery Squad in San Fernando, were taken into custody. The ranks of the officers are as follows: five constables and one corporal. At present efforts are being made to interview another officer in connection with the incident. Enquiries are continuing,” the statement read.
Craig had been appointed to supervise the investigation by Commissioner Gibbs after relatives of the victims objected to Snr Supt Donald Denoon, head of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations (HBI), being the lead investigator in the Moruga killings, as he may have known the officers while he worked as a senior policeman, and head of the Southern Division, before taking charge of the HBI.
After the officers were detained yesterday, they were taken to the Region I HBI office in Port of Spain where at least one of them was interviewed.
They are being housed in individual cells at the Central Police Station in Port of Spain, Woodbrook, Barataria, San Juan and Arouca police stations. Their shoelaces and belts have been removed from their clothing as a security measure.
Attorney for the officers, Subhas Panday, who was a Minister in the Ministry of National Security at the time of the killings, yesterday said he met with each of his clients at the various police stations.
He said search warrants for arms and ammunition were executed at his clients’ homes early yesterday and they were later taken into custody by police in connection with the Moruga killings.
Panday said, “I spoke to each and every one of them today while making my rounds and they are concerned as police officers, and even private citizens, given the conditions that they are housed under at these police stations… It has the potential to have them in a state of disorientation. The police could detain them for a certain period of time and I’m giving the police sufficient time to conduct their enquiries.”
He said measures have been put in place to ensure that the policewoman’s child is well taken car of in her absence so that additional stress would not be on her shoulder while she remains in custody.
Panday also confirmed that a seventh officer was yet to turn himself in but he hoped that will be done quickly to expedite the investigations so the file could be sent to Gaspard for advice.
The killings of Johnson, Duncan and Eccles had immediately sparked fiery protests in the Moruga area which continued for several days, causing Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs to fly to the area via a helicopter, where he met with relatives of the victims.
Police had claimed the trio opened fire on officers, who attempted to intercept the car they were travelling in at the corner of Poui Trace and Rochard Road, Barrackpore.
