Human Rights Association calls for investigation

The local Human Rights Association (HRA) has called for thorough investigations into the August 7 shooting death of police constable Kingsley John and an incident in Barrouallie on August 11, in which police shot three young women while trying to apprehend a man.{{more}}

“We are deeply concerned by the manner in which things were handled in Barrouallie,” Nicole Sylvester, President of the HRA, told reporters on Tuesday.

She said she was concerned that so many persons were injured as the police tried to apprehend Bernard “Bibsie” Derrick, who, police say had gone to the Barrouallie Community Centre, armed with a knife and a stick, and threatened to kill all the children participating in a programme there.

The young women, aged 12, 18, and 23, were shot as police tried to apprehend Derrick, who escaped.

“We do not think it is an excuse of they are attempting to execute their duty that so many victims could have suffered injury. We condemn it and we have called for an investigation and we hope there will be an investigation,” Sylvester said.

In relation to John’s death, Sylvester said her Association was “concerned by how that matter had come about … and how it resulted in the loss of his life”.

Sylvester was concerned that John died while on duty in the precincts of the Biabou police station.

The 27-year-old Special Services Unit officer died of an M4 rifle bullet to the chest.

His SSU colleague Rohan McDowall was on Tuesday charged with John’s murder, two weeks after Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Colin Williams instructed the police to do so

“I do not wish to speculate on it, but to say that we would like to see a thorough, transparent investigation of the circumstances,” Sylvester said.

She said she was yet to receive a response to a letter she wrote to Commissioner of Police Keith Miller concerning John’s death.

DPP Williams last week raised concern about the slothfulness of the police to charge McDowall.

“I would like to shake hands on one occasion with the DPP in that regard. If he considers it slothful, I would shake hands with him. And, I am happy that as the Director of Public Prosecutions he felt emboldened to say it as it is. And I support it,” Sylvester said.

“We feel that the public [is] owed an explanation and there must be a thorough investigation into all these incidents,” she added. (KXC)