David West says PCA fulfilled role in Laventille police killings probe

Police Complaints Authority (PCA) Director David West says the authority successfully completed its role in the investigation into the 2018 fatal police shooting of five men in Laventille, following a High Court ruling that ordered the State to pay their families more than $4 million in compensation.

The case concerns the deaths of Mechack Douglas, Shakeem Francois, Shaundell St Clair, Nicholas Barker and Kudiem Phillip, who were shot near Upper Wharton Street, Trou Macaque Road, Laventille on October 25, 2018.

In a recent judgment, High Court Judge Marcia Ayers-Caesar upheld claims of assault and battery and misfeasance in public office against the Office of the Attorney General, rejecting the State’s claim that the men died in a shoot-out with police.

West, in a brief interview, said the PCA had already conducted its investigation, completed its report and forwarded its findings to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Roger Gaspard, SC, on August 5, 2020, with a recommendation that the officers involved be charged with murder.

He said the authority’s responsibility ended once the report was submitted into the criminal justice process.

“This shows that the PCA has done their part in the criminal process,” West said.

He added that the matter was subsequently referred for further action within the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), and said any decision on charges now rests with the DPP.

The court, in its ruling, found the police version of events lacked credibility, pointing to autopsy evidence indicating close-range gunshots and inconsistencies in the State’s account.

Justice Ayers-Caesar also criticised the investigation into the incident, noting failures in forensic support and witness handling, and said the shortcomings raised serious concerns about how the case was managed.

The men’s families alleged that Douglas was playing cards and listening to music when officers entered the area and opened fire, while others were beaten or shot as they tried to flee. One man survived.

The State maintained the men had engaged police in a gunfight.

The court awarded damages totalling more than $4 million, including aggravated and vindicatory damages.

The families were represented by Lee Merry, SC, and Ajesh Sumessar. The Attorney General’s Office was represented by Stefan Jaikaran and Janine Joseph.