(Trinidad Guardian) The 22-year-old Santa Cruz man accused of an assassination attempt on Deputy Prison Commissioner Sherwyn Bruce died of unnatural causes, an autopsy revealed yesterday.
In announcing Emmanuel Joseph’s death in a media release on Saturday, the T&T Prison Service said around 10.20 pm last Friday, Joseph complained about chest pains and was taken to the Arima Health Facility, where he was pronounced dead.
However, the post-mortem certificate prepared by consultant forensic pathologist Dr Parthasarathi Pramanik, after performing an autopsy at the Forensic Science Centre in St James yesterday afternoon, listed the cause of death as shock and haemorrhage, poly-trauma and blunt force trauma injuries “all over his body”.
While the certificate also noted that Joseph had a gunshot injury to his right shoulder, Guardian Media understands that he was receiving treatment for the injury at the facility when he was initially detained for the shooting involving Bruce, his bodyguard and daughter hours after it occurred.
Contacted late yesterday, Joseph’s sister Crystal Charles, who identified his body before the autopsy, said the family had not been informed of the result until receiving the call from Guardian Media.
Charles said while she and her relatives were still mourning her brother’s death, they were pleased that the autopsy was able to reveal the true cause of his death.
“We are feeling good now because at least we know the truth now. That is all we wanted,” Charles said.
Charles said the initial misinformation over his death made the family question whether he was really involved in the alleged assassination on Bruce.
“How could you know it was really him? The scene happen in Barataria but you find him in Arima. It have real people does get shoot on a daily basis,” she said.
Yesterday’s autopsy was observed by former State pathologist Dr Hughvon Des Vignes, who was retained by the family to provide a second opinion.
However, Dr Des Vignes’ participation was only facilitated after attorneys Wayne Sturge, Lemuel Murphy, Alexia Romero, and Siddiq Manzano, who are representing Joseph’s family, obtained an ex-parte injunction against T&T Forensic Science Centre (FSC) acting director Derrick Sankar, stopping him and his officials from blocking the move to have an independent party view the autopsy.
According to their court filings, obtained by Guardian Media, Sankar initially agreed to facilitate the family’s request. However, when Charles and Dr Des Vignes went to the FSC on Wednesday, they requested that the table Joseph’s body was on be brought forward and his hand shown to assist in identification.
“After the attempted identification exercise the Applicant/Intended Claimant (Charles) was informed by Dr Des Vignes that he was told by Deputy Director Michelle Moore-Nasseir that plans changed and he would no longer be allowed to observe the autopsy and further, that they should seek a court order to have same made possible,” Manzano said in the interim relief application.
Under the interim injunction that was granted by High Court Judge Carol Gobin, Sankar was also mandated to deliver all documents related to Joseph to his sister.
The case is scheduled to come up for hearing next Monday.
On October 11, Bruce was about to enter an unmarked Toyota Fortuner, driven by prison officer Steve Phipps, outside his Barataria home when two masked, armed men exited a white Toyota Axio and began shooting at them.
Phipps reportedly returned fire with his service pistol but was shot in his torso. Bruce’s 12-year-old daughter sustained a minor wound. Bruce escaped unhurt.
The gunmen returned to their vehicle and drove away.
Joseph, of La Canoa Road, Santa Cruz, was arrested hours later while seeking medical treatment at a health facility.
He spent a little over a week in police custody before he was eventually charged with two counts of attempted murder, possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition, possession of a firearm to endanger life, and possession of ammunition to endanger life last Wednesday.
The following day, he appeared before Magistrate Maureen Baboolal-Gafoor and was denied bail.
