By ALEXANDER BRUZUAL Thursday, October 29 2009

ACTING Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard has ordered a former senior policeman released from custody and a Coroner’s Inquest into the death of the ex-officer’s son.

It has been alleged by police that ex-police Inspector Michael Ragoonanan shot dead his son Kevin, 30, at their Kelly Village, Caroni home last Sunday.

The two men were at home when an argument broke out between father and son. Kevin became confrontational and assaulted members of his family. During the altercation, the elder Ragoonanan retrieved his licensed firearm and fired a single shot at Kevin who was struck in the chest and died on the spot.

Police investigating the incident said the victim was described as a man known to have substance abuse problems. Sources added that the argument which preceded the shooting was over Ragoonanan’s alcohol addiction.

An autopsy done on Monday at the Forensic Science Centre in St James, confirmed Kevin died from the gunshot injury. However, tissue samples have been taken to determine if there were any illegal narcotics in his system when he died.

Despite the tragedy of the incident, President of the Police Social and Welfare Association Emrol Bruce, continues to maintain his stance that police officers should be armed.

Although he did not want to comment directly on the shooting, Bruce said the event, as unfortunate as it was, should not deter any opinions that officers should possess firearms.

“I have and will continue to maintain that police officers once they fit the bill should be armed. I have seen the value of arming police and especially in this day and age, it is crucially important.

Situations like this are tragic, but do not change this position,” Bruce said.

He referred to reports around the world where police officers have used firearms outside of their legal duty, and explained although there were procedures to limit the occurrence, some situations were inescapable.

“There are some officers who are not suitable to be armed and we would like to deal with that. But does disarming the entire police force guarantee incidents like this will not happen again? No. It may not be a gun a used on the next occasion, it would be some other instrument,” Bruce said.