A 33-year-old Matelot farmer who was shot and killed by police during a raid at his brother?s home in 1995 had been smoking marijuana with friends half an hour before the police arrived...
News Source: Trinidad Guardian
PC Mihiset Greene is on trial for Sutherland?s murder before Justice Herbert Volney in the Port-of-Spain First Criminal Court.
It is alleged that Greene shot Sutherland after the lawmen had gone to investigate a drug deal, on April 14, 1995.
It is the State?s case that Greene and PCs Campbell and York went to the home of Ricky Sutherland at Marcelle Road when Neil attempted to run from them.
Prosecutor George Busby said the accused had his hands upraised and was pleading with the policemen to let his brother go when he was shot by Greene.
Greene and York were armed with SLR rifles while Campbell carried a revolver.
Sutherland was later pronounced dead on arrival at the Sangre Grande County Hospital.
Romain, under cross-examination by Green?s lawyer Pamela Elder SC, admitted he, Ricky, Neil and another man, Carmel Noel, were smoking marijuana before police arrived.
He said the policemen, who were all wearing shorts and T-shirts, entered Ricky?s home and Greene went straight up to Neil and the two began struggling.
?He and Neil had a scuffle and he jam Neil up on the wall,? he said.
Romain said the men somehow ended up at the back door of the house while he jumped through the window and ran home.
Sutherland?s father, St Clair, testified that around 5.30 am on April 15, 1995, Greene approached him as he waited for transport on Paria Main Road and asked him he had heard what had happened.
The older Sutherland denied his son Ricky was a drug pusher.
Retired acting Cpl Renwick Morris, who had earlier dispatched Greene and York on foot patrol in the area, said they returned at around 9.45 pm when Greene told him that he observed a ?drug play? going down.
He said Greene requested additional strength and he and York were given a SLR rifle and one magazine each while Campbell was given a revolver.
He said around 12.30 am, the officers returned with Ricky Sutherland and two bags of marijuana and Greene told him he had shot a man.
Elder is being assisted by Owen Hinds Jr.
The trial continues today.
Originally published in The Trinidad Guardian on March 24 2004
