(Trinidad Express) The father of a teenage boy who was shot and killed by a police officer during a party in 2014 has been awarded more than $1 million in damages by the High Court.
The awarded sum could have been significantly higher but because there was no evidence to guide the presiding judge on the amount to be compensated for pain and suffering, that aspect of the lawsuit was not considered.
It was on the morning of September 28, 2014, that 17-year-old Ricardo Mohammed was shot once to the neck by a police officer during a party at the Old Navy Restaurant and Bar at the Military Museum along the Western Main Road.
In October 2017, his father Ricky Mohammed filed a lawsuit against the Office of the Attorney General seeking compensation for his son’s death as a result of negligence on the part of PC Clyde Best.
During the trial before Justice Frank Seepersad at the Hall of Justice in Port of Spain yesterday, the boy’s father was the only witness to testify. PC Best did not show up for the hearing even though he was previously informed of the trial date, attorneys said.
His witness statement was however tendered into evidence for the court’s consideration in arriving at a determination in the matter.