Families of police shooting victims demand resignation of Commissioner Guevarro

Relatives of three young men killed by police in 2022 have rallied behind the Samaroo family, calling for Police Commissioner Guevarro to step down.

Families of police victims unite behind Samaroos, demand accountability

As reported by guardian.co.tt, three separate investigations are now underway into the fatal police shooting of Josiah Samaroo — and relatives of other young men killed by officers have stepped forward to demand justice and call for the resignation of Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro.

Leo Williams, whose 17-year-old son Leonardo was killed in a police shooting on July 2, 2022, said Commissioner Guevarro's offer of counselling to the officers involved in Samaroo's death — rather than their suspension — was sufficient grounds for him to leave his post.

"The only message I have to send to the new commissioner is to step down. Look what happened, and he's saying the police need counselling in a case like that? ... on CCTV footage where the world can see Samaroo being killed," Williams said. He added that Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander should also resign.

Leonardo Williams, 17-year-old Isaiah Roberts and 21-year-old Fabian Richards were shot and killed during a police operation after officers claimed they had been fired upon and returned fire. Autopsy reports, however, revealed that all three men had been shot from behind.

A 15-year-old survivor of that incident stated that the three had surrendered following a vehicle crash outside Republic Bank at Independence Square — after a chase from Diego Martin — but were shot regardless. Police recovered a firearm at the scene, yet neither of the two survivors was ever charged. The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) subsequently recommended that three officers face an inquest, though the status of the internal police investigation remains unclear.

Speaking to Guardian Media outside her Beetham Gardens home, Fabian Richards' mother Nicole Richards described the toll of the past 43 months as she and other relatives have continued seeking answers. Raising her granddaughter without a father, she said, is a daily reminder that justice has not been served. She urged the Samaroo family not to abandon their fight.

On January 20, Josiah Samaroo was shot 19 times by police along Bassie Street, St Augustine, following a high-speed chase. CCTV footage showed him placing his hands out of his crashed vehicle in surrender before officers opened fire. His common-law wife, Kaia Sealy, was shot in the back during the same incident and is now paralysed.

Relatives of the couple staged a protest on Sunday and are expected to demonstrate again outside the Police Administration Building. The families of Leonardo Williams, Isaiah Roberts and Fabian Richards have pledged their solidarity with the Samaroo family.

Williams urged those families to remain steadfast in their pursuit of justice. He also called for footage of his own son's killing to be released publicly, drawing a parallel with the Samaroo case, and reiterated his support for mandatory police body cameras — arguing they would protect both civilians and officers alike.

"The police murder our children in cold blood downtown Port-of-Spain and nothing happens. No justice," Williams said. "Where is the DPP? Where is the PCA? Where is the justice system in Trinidad and Tobago? They didn't just take our children — they took the grandchildren they would have given us."

Guardian Media contacted TTPS communications manager Joanne Archie for an update on the status of the internal police investigation but had received no response by press time.

Source: Google News TT — Port of Spain