Policeman given military burial

Elson Richardson, the police constable found in the area of Belle Vue Sunday November 14, was laid to rest last Saturday.

It was a solemn occasion, in which a number of his colleagues in uniform distinguished themselves. Hundreds of other mourners including Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves paid their last respects to the fallen officer. {{more}}

New Democratic Party Senator St. Claire Leacock delivered the eulogy in the packed St. Patrick’s Anglican Church at Barrouallie.

Hundreds of mourners thronged the precincts of the building to express their sympathy to the deceased.

His death sparked moments of chilling discord among the constabulary, fearful that the occurrence signaled an unwelcome development.

Last week’s edition of the Searchlight newspaper reported that Richardson was the first police officer to have been murdered while serving.

Updated versions have revealed that Richardson was not in fact the first. One Constable Isles was reportedly killed in 1955 in Biabou.

In the late 1980s a high ranking Vincentian police officer, Superintendent Joseph Bascombe, was killed while on a mission in Grenada in mysterious circumstances. Bascombe’s death came amidst a cloud of controversy and even up to today still remains a contentious issue.

However, Constable Elson Richardson’s killing, described as senseless by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, has been dubbed as a “turning point” in the war against criminals.