Both the Trinidad Guardian and Trinidad Express are reporting that concerned citizens from Malabar led a protest to the President Maxwell Richards' house yesterday, complaining over the recent police slaying of five people including one woman in her bedroom. The residents would like to see an independent commission of enquiry into the matter.
Lincoln Forde, 27, Glen Liverpool, 48, Jordan Charles, 17, and Hayden Goddard, 44, were in the same car when they were shot and killed by police around 5.30 p.m. near the Agua Santa Junction on the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway on the day in question. A fifth person, Wendy Courtney, 40, was also shot dead in her bedroom by the police.Armed with placards, residents, some of whom included young children, stood outside President’s House, in St Ann’s, in the scorching midday sun for almost an hour calling on Richards to appoint the enquiry into the killings. The residents are armed with a petition with between 4000 to 5000 signatures. This is not the first time that citizens are claiming police brutality in Trinidad and Tobago.
"We have no faith in the police service. Get rid of the corrupt officers. We want the enquiry to comprise a retired judge, retired magistrate, retired senior police officer and an attorney," said the group's spokesman Kalif Saif.
"The President already has engagements but has agreed to meet with us on Monday afternoon. We will be here in full force and with more people," Saif said.
But as some residents accused Richards of "stalling" Saif called on them to "have patience. We must do this in a proper and organised manner," said Saif. He added: "And this means that we have to follow a certain process."
Assistant Police Commissioner in charge of Anti-Crime Operations Gilbert Reyes yesterday said that he was hoping to receive the report on the shooting today. But Reyes said he was not in a position to "guarantee" this.
Speaking during a brief telephone interview, the senior cop who said he had been out of the country for a week said he too was anxiously awaiting the report. According to Reyes, the investigating officers were given additional time to compile their findings into the probe.
