Police shoot two dead – relatives want answersBy CECILY ASSON Sunday, October 25 2009
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Tara RAMNARINE, seated, mother of Ricardo Theophilus who was shot and killed by police officers along Cipero Street, San Fernando yesterday morning. S...
Relatives of two men who were killed by police in the early hours of yesterday morning in San Fernando are calling on Commissioner of Police James Philbert to launch an immediate investigation into their deaths.
Ricardo Theophilus, 26, a businessman of Tarodale Hills, Ste Madeleine and Ricardo “Poppy” Pierre, 35, a father of four of Theresa Street, Marabella were killed in a shootout with police at Lawrence Street, San Fernando yesterday.
Theophilus was the owner of Natty’s Fashion House, Princes Town and San Fernando, and had only returned from Curacao on Thursday night where he had gone to shop for goods for his stores. He would have turned 27 on Tuesday, relatives told Newsday.
“Government must do something about these police officers who are killing people’s children,” cried the mother of one of the vicitms.
A police report stated that at about 12.45 am, police on mobile patrol acting on a tip-off, intercepted a black Almera proceeding west along Lawrence Street and challenged the two occupants seated in the vehicle. Police said the men began shooting at them and following an exchange of gunfire the men were found slumped in the car.
They were rushed to the San Fernando General Hospital where Pierre was pronounced dead on arrival. Theophilus succumbed to his injuries a few hours later.
The men received multiple gun shot wounds to the head and chest.
Police recovered a firearm in the vehicle. The car was impounded. Yesterday relatives called for justice in the killings.
A close relative of Pierre called his death a revenge killing by police.
He told Newsday, “They executed him, he was a hunted man and they finally got him. Since yesterday (Friday) they (police) driving up and down in here (Theresa Street) looking for him.”
Identifying the police officers by names, the relative said police officers had accused Pierre of the September 23 killing of Bevon Neptune in Princes Town.
Neptune, the son of a policeman was ambushed and killed as he left his girlfriend’s home at Theodore Extension Street, Princes Town that morning.
“We are not totally shocked at what happened and we will leave it up to God,” one relative said.
Meanwhile, over at Theophilus’s home, his common-law wife Giselle Lemo, 29, comforted the couple’s three-month-old baby girl Kamaria as she and other relatives, including his mother Tara Ramnarine, tried to come to terms with his death.
“As a businessman and due to the rising crime, he wanted to apply for a gun to protect himself.
“Look how they come and kill him – he never ever had any trouble with the law,” his mother told Newsday.
She said police must ask questions before killing persons.
“Whey did they have to shoot him in his head – it only shows that they wanted to kill him.”
She asked, “Why are they taking innocent people’s lives?”
ASP Cecil Santana is conducting investigations.
