SSU cop arrested for the murder of a fellow officer

Special Services Unit (SSU) Police Constable Rohan McDowall has been charged with murder.{{more}}

Close to two weeks after Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Colin Williams, instructed police to charge McDowall for the shooting death of his SSU colleague, McDowall was brought to the Serious Offences Court to face three charges on Tuesday, August 24.

Dressed in a blue plaid shirt, brown khaki trousers, a pair of white sneakers and a yellow rag wrapped around hand, McDowall sat quietly on one of the prisoners’ chairs, exchanging glances with the other police officers in the court room.

McDowall was charged with his former colleague PC 494 Kingsley John’s murder, which occurred on August 7, 2010, at the Biabou Police Station. He was also charged with the use of a firearm with intent to commit an offence and unlawfully discharging a firearm at Kingsley John.

John, 27, of Dickson, was killed with an M4 assault rifle shortly after he and other members of his unit had returned from a drug raid.

McDowall was not remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison in Kingstown, but is being held in custody at the Mesopotamia Police Station, a gazette prison, until the matter comes up for hearing on November 3, 2010.

As soon as McDowall’s matter was adjourned, a swarm of his colleagues, clad in civilian clothing, was seen heading to the court. Just as they did back in July 2009, when three members of the local constabulary were arrested on criminal charges, McDowall’s colleagues crowded him, preventing media cameras from taking his photograph.

McDowalll was whisked away quietly in a white Toyota Corolla vehicle, while other officers stood outside the courtroom conversing with each other.

Lawyer Richard Williams represents McDowall on the matter.