4 months ago
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Davy LA Maitre - NATASHA PIERRE is pleading for justice after what she described as a senseless killing that claimed the life of her son, 32-year-old police officer Davy La Maitre, along with two other young men – Michael Ross, 24, and Josiah Maloney, 23. The shooting occurred on July 13 along Lange Street in Gonzales.
According to reports, the three men were among a group liming along Lange Street in Gonzales when a black Nissan Almera pulled up. Two armed men got out of the car and opened fire before driving off on Prosperity Road.
Speaking with Newsday at the Forensic Science Centre in St James on July 14, Pierre, accompanied by another son, fondly remembered La Maitre as a kind, respectful man.
“He was the first of five. Right now, I’m just trying to stay strong for my younger children,” she said, visibly shaken.
Pierre said her son had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“He was by one of his friends. He had just woken up and got a call to collect something. While he was walking back, he was shot. I heard the shots.”
La Maitre was take to the Port of Spain General Hospital by residents, while police transported Ross and Maloney. All three were later pronounced dead.
A video circulating on social media shows the chilling moments leading up to the shooting. In the footage, a toddler is seen walking unattended between the group of limers. A bystander stops the child and sends them away, out of frame, less than ten seconds before the gunmen arrive and open fire. Miraculously, the child was not harmed.
Describing her son as a private and respectful individual who “kept to himself”, Pierre shifted focus to what she says is escalating violence plaguing not just the community of Gonzales but the country.
“I think crime needs to stop. Something must be put in place to end this, especially for the youths. Maybe more youth programmes, maybe a stronger push to get them involved in positive activities,” she said.
A screenshot from CCTV footage at Lange Street, Belmont, where gunmen ambushed a group liming and killed three people, including a police officer, on July 13. -
Pierre, who is now raising her two younger children without the assistance of her eldest son, added:
“I’m trying to keep working, not because I want to, but because I have to. I have two young ones depending on me. My 16-year-old daughter isn’t coping well at all. She couldn’t even get out of bed this morning.”
Asked how she wants her son to be remembered, Pierre became emotional: “He was kind. Respectful. He would help anyone. If he saw someone struggling, he would jump in without hesitation.”
She also had a message for government officials, especially those responsible for national security: “We need more police patrols in high-risk areas.”
While she acknowledges the police patrols during the early morning periods, she insists it is not enough.
“Yes, sometimes they (the police) pass by in the morning, but that’s not enough. Gonzales has a police post, but it needs to be active. More mobile patrols: the community just need more visible police presence.”
Asked what she believes might be driving young people toward violence, Pierre was at a loss:
“I don’t know... I really don’t know.”
Through tears, she concluded: “I just hope we get justice. That’s all I can hope for now, for my family and for my son.”
Newsday visited Gonzales around 11.30 am on the same day. The streets were quiet. A few elderly residents spoke on the condition of anonymity. One woman said she had grown accustomed to the crime in the community and, like Pierre, echoed a similar sentiment.
“We need more police patrolling throughout the day.”
She believes young people should stop liming in groups on the pavement and stay indoors.
“Yes, I know boys are not supposed to be locked up inside all day, but it’s either locked up inside, ending up in jail, or in a coffin box.”
The elderly woman, who says she has lived in the neighbourhood for over 20 years, added parents also need to be held accountable when their children fall into criminal activity.
“There’s no way my child, who is not working anywhere, could come in my house with new shoes and a stack of money. Where did you get that? Parents need to take a strong stand when it comes to their children.”
Reflecting on the toddler seen just moments before the deadly shooting, she said: “God is good – that could have been another mother bawling.”
As she spoke, her daughter and two young children listened closely.
Another resident reflected on a “simpler time,” saying life in Gonzales during the 1990s was vastly different from what is happening now.
“I don’t know what it is to run from gunshots – I know what it is to run behind a football.”
The man, who lives near the Escalier and St Jerome’s Primary School, reminisced about his youth. Speaking fondly of the days when he said there was a strong sense of community pride, fostered by neighbourhood sporting events.
He called for a return to those times when, as he put it, “the community looked out for each other.”
Head of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Social Welfare Association, Gideon Dickson, extended condolences to the family, friends, community, and colleagues of PC La Maitre and the other men who were killed.
In a phone interview, Dickson said: “As an association, we believe this situation cannot be allowed to continue. We will spare no resources in our efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Dickson said those committing such violent acts fail to understand the damaging message they are sending, both locally and internationally.
“The actions of these individuals are shaping how we are viewed, not just by the outside world, but even among ourselves. For that reason, we are committed to doing all we can to assist in ensuring justice is served.”
Addressing fellow police officers, particularly those off-duty, Dickson offered this advice:
“Continue to be as vigilant as possible. Don’t take anyone for granted. Be mindful that gun violence is a real and growing threat. We must always be prepared to respond appropriately.”
Newsday tried calling Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro but got no response.
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