The attorney representing the family of Orin Boston, the Dartmouth businessman who was fatally shot by a policeman in his home more than two months ago, is giving the authorities up to this month-end to disclose the findings of the probe or he will proceed with private criminal charges.
“We are going to give them until the end of November,” attorney Nigel Hughes told Stabroek News in a recent telephone interview.
In October, Hughes had told this newspaper that the family of Boston is giving the authorities “ample” time to carry out the investigation and institute charge/s.
He had explained that he wrote to Commissioner of Police (ag) Nigel Hoppie and Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) Justice (ret’d) William Ramlal in relation to the investigation.
“We wrote to enquire about whether the investigation was completed and whether they were going to institute charges and what those charges are going to be,” he had said.
To date, Hughes said he is yet to receive a response.
In the letter to Ramlal, Hughes explained that he had asked for the name of the suspect to be disclosed to the family since that detail will be “necessary” to proceed with the private criminal charges. “…Like I said we haven’t got a response,” he said.
“…We are now looking at what procedures can now be followed to cause them to disclose their investigation thus far for the purposes of commencing private criminal charges,” Hughes added.
The lawyer had initially stated that while the option of private criminal proceedings is “always available”, they would prefer for the state to “discharge its responsibility to investigate and prosecute what is clearly a crime”.
Boston, 29, of Hoppie Street, Dartmouth was shot and killed on September 15 during what was said to be an anti-crime operation.
More than a week after the incident, police had confirmed that the file was sent to the PCA for a “review”.
Asked for an update on the probe last week, Hoppie told the media during a virtual briefing that the investigation is ongoing and the file is still with the PCA.
“The Orin Boston investigation is ongoing. I did say that we have initiated action at the level of the Office of Professional Responsibility and the submissions were made to the Chairman of the complaints authority who is mandated by law to supervise the investigation and currently that is an aspect of the investigation,” Hoppie said.
It is unclear what is causing the delay in the investigation.
In a statement, the police had said that SWAT team ranks were conducting the operation at around 4.40 am during which they went to the home of Boston to undertake a search.
During the search, the police said there was a “confrontation” between Boston and the police, resulting in him being shot.
Boston was rushed to the Suddie Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. An autopsy later revealed that Boston died as a result of haemorrhage and shock due to gunshot injuries to the chest.
Boston’s widow, Feona Boston, had previously told reporters that the police kicked down their back door, went into their bedroom and shot the businessman. She said that ranks were all over the house with guns and her two children, ages 6 and 7, witnessed the entire ordeal.
Contacted recently, Feona said she is lost for words and is unable to provide an update since she too has not been hearing from the authorities.
“I don’t even know what to say….It’s two months now….I don’t know which world I deh in right now….Like I lost,” she said.
