Fallen police officer accorded military funeral

by Kenton X. Chance Tue, Aug 24, 2010

Special Services Unit (SSU) officers, clad in their camouflage uniform, held hands and wept openly last Saturday in Georgetown, as they attended the military burial of their fallen fellow officer, Police Constable 494, Kingsley John.{{more}}

Civilians alike, including John’s mother, Glenor John, and young men sporting neat cornrows, did not hide their pain at the passing of a “child of promise, especially prayed for by his mother”.

When Commissioner of Police, Keith Miller, saluted the grieving mother before presenting her with the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force flag at the graveside, Glenor did not speak.

She looked away, then at the flag which was folded into a triangle, then at the top cop, before looking at the flag again.

After accepting the token of appreciation for her son’s service to this country and to the Royal St.Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, Glenor attempted to speak, but no words came out. Her lips trembled as she clasped the flag to her breasts, lowered her head and wept silently.

It was a minute or so before she lifted her head again and the Commissioner again saluted her.

Kingsley, affectionately called “King John”, was buried two weeks after he was shot dead with an M4 rifle at the Biabou Police Station on Saturday, August 7.

Police initially said the shooting was accidental. However, Director of Public Prosecutions, Colin Williams, has instructed the police to charge fellow SSU officer, Rohan McDowall, with murder.

Mourners at the Georgetown Evangelical Church heard moving tributes to a “dedicated” cop, who had wrestled his way back to his Christian faith, and had spoken forebodingly of the August 7 mission, which took place before he was shot.

On the fateful day, John and his colleagues had returned from a drug raid and were at the Biabou Police Station when he was shot dead inside the dining area.

“On the… morning of his death, before leaving for the operation, these were the words he used: ‘All of us are leaving, some of us may not return.’ Incidentally, John did not return,” said Police Constable 371, Meshach John, also an SSU officer, in a tribute on behalf of his unit.

“Today, we mourn the loss of not just a son, brother, father, uncle, friend or colleague. St. Vincent and the Grenadines, more so the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, has lost an unbelievably special young man that had such a bright future ahead of him,” said Meshach.

Commissioner Miller, before reading the scripture, said he was heartened by persons who told him they understood what the constabulary was “going through”.

“I considered John as my own son.… You have heard the sentiments, you have heard the tribute from his immediate colleagues at SSU. That is the person who I know John was.… We have lost a great policeman. We have lost a future missionary, as I am hearing now,” Miller further stated.

During the funeral service it was disclosed that John wanted to be a pastor.

Eulogizing her brother, Geneva John spoke of him being “a mommy’s boy”.

“This is a label he carried in our family without apology,” she added.

Geneva was surrounded by her sisters, Carola John, Niasha John and Lois John as she delivered the eulogy.

Their father, Collingford John, later joined the young women on the platform as Geneva struggled through tears to read the eulogy.

She said their brother was jovial, kind, ambitious and was well loved by his superiors, reiterating a point made by Inspector Ruth Hazel-Ann Jacobs.

Jacobs spoke of John’s dedication and how, in December 2008, he had responded to a call to fight a fire in Kingstown and had continued even after he received a cut to his hand.

“From that, I always looked at him as a real dedicated hard worker. And, just because of his attitude to the job, I loved him. I really, really had loved him,” said Jacobs, before she and other police officers sang two songs in tribute to the fallen cop.

Geneva said Kingsley was their “big brother” and was always there to assist, advice, comfort, rebuke, and frustrate when they disagreed with him.

“Our relationship exceeded simply sharing parents. We were friends. As a friend, he was respectful, jovial, confidential, committed, attentive. Always calling just to check in to find out how you are,” said Geneva.

“He enjoyed and valued his job not just for the financial return but for the experience, the opportunity, the interaction. His training spilled over into his everyday life, helping him to become a disciplined, well rounded and intelligent man,” she said.

Kingsley was the father of a three-month-old baby, Da Andre John.

His sister, Niasha John, who read a poem at the funeral service, told SEARCHLIGHT that her family would not speak to the media about the incident.