Acting Commissioner of Police (CoP), Mc Donald Jacob, wishes to give the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, especially of Rich Plain, Diego Martin, the assurance that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) will adhere to the rule of law regarding the investigation into the fatal shooting of PC Clarence Gilkes.

The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) announced in a scathing Press Release on Thursday (30th June 2022) that it has concluded that members of the TTPS abused their power and deliberately mislead the Acting CoP. The Authority said this incident “is one of the clearest examples of abuse of Police power that the PCA has investigated to date.”

A Media Release from the TTPS on Thursday states that the lead investigator, Snr Supt Joseph Chandool, together with investigators from the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB), are still actively investigating the incident.

The Media Release added that on Wednesday (29th June 2022), the Acting CoP together with the Head of the PSB, Snr Supt Suzette Martin and the lead investigator, Snr Supt Chandool, held a meeting with PCA Director, Mr. David West, along with two (2) of his investigators, where a completed investigative file was handed over to the Acting CoP. Acting CoP Jacob then handed over the file to Snr Supt Chandool, and he was advised to continue the normal procedure of linking the evidential file with that of the PCA and to continue the investigation.

Commissioner (Ag.) Jacob notes that the investigation is currently at a critical stage and when the Police investigators complete their inquiry, they will be required to visit the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for guidance and advice.

The Acting CoP also states that the TTPS is the institution provided with the mandate and responsibility to proffer charges against persons, while the Courts of the country decide on the innocence or guilt of persons who are charged. He also assures that the public will be advised when the final advice is given by the DPP regarding this matter.

In a News Release on Thursday (30th June 2022), the Water and Sewerage Authority (the Authority) said vandals struck the Thicke Village Booster Station in Siparia overnight on Wednesday (29th June 2022), disabling the facility as the electrical cables were stolen.

The Authority said it “strongly condemns this senseless act of vandalism, which has left approximately 40,000 persons across parts of Siparia and Penal, without a pipe-borne water supply.”

The extent of the damages at the Booster Station located along Small Trace, Thicke Village Siparia, has been assessed. Preliminary reports indicate stolen and damaged electrical wiring, breach of one of the walls at the facility to gain entry to the building and a felled electrical pole.

The Authority advises affected customers that it may take up to forty-eight (48) hours to complete the extensive repair works, required to return the facility to operation.

Affected areas are as follows:

Quarry Road, along SS Erin Erin Road from Siparia Market to Fyzabad Field Trace, Santa Flora, Bacanno Hill, Skinner Trace, La Brea Trace, Sudama Village, along Guapo Road from Mulchan Trace to Fyzabad Junction, De Gannes Village, Syne Village, La Brea Trace, Katwaroo Trace, Ragoonanan Trace, Batchyia Trace, La Costena, Dil Mohammed, Bernnard Trace, Debedial Road.

Restoration of service to the affected areas above is expected to complete by 12pm on Saturday (2nd July 2022).

Customers are further advised that following the completion of these works, it may take twenty-four (24) hours for the supply to normalize to some affected areas.

Members of the public are encouraged to report all acts of vandalism or suspicious activity they observe at the Authority's installations to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and the Authority's Customer Call Centre, toll free at 800-4420/800-4426.

The Authority apologizes for the inconvenience and thanks customers for their patience and understanding.

In a Press Release on Friday (30th June 2022), the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) said it has completed its independent investigation into the fatal shooting of PC Clarence Gilkes in Richplain, Diego Martin, which took place on on 22nd April 2022.

The PCA advises that it has concluded that members of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) abused their power and deliberately mislead the Acting Commissioner of Police (CoP). The Authority said this incident “is one of the clearest examples of abuse of Police power that the PCA has investigated to date.”

According to the PCA, the evidence revealed that Officers of the TTPS shot at an unarmed civilian and, unfortunately, PC Clarence Gilkes became an unintended target. Further evidence, it says, revealed that Police Officers deliberately misled the Ag. CoP on the events that transpired. “The scientific evidence gathered by the PCA clearly demonstrates PC Gilkes was fatally shot by one of his fellow Officers.”

However, before this evidence became apparent, the PCA said Police Officers informed the Ag. CoP that an unarmed civilian would have shot PC Gilkes, which led to his death, and caused the Police Service to launch a manhunt in order to ‘deal with the persons responsible for this act.’

The PCA notes that it has made recommendations to both the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Office of the Ag. Commissioner of Police.

This is a developing story - refresh this page for updates.

A teenager appeared before a Master of the Fyzabad Children’s Court this morning (Monday 27th June 2022), charged with the manslaughter of Curtis Greene, which occurred on Friday 17th June 2022.

The 16-year-old was charged with the offence following advice of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Roger Gaspard SC, on Sunday 26th June 2022.

Greene, 52, aka ‘Fighter,’ a labourer, of Beach Road, Point Fortin, was at a gas station in the district on Friday 17th June 2022, when he allegedly got into an altercation with a teenager. During the incident, the teen allegedly threw several glass bottles at the victim, wounding him. The victim died at the scene.

The accused was arrested by Officers of the South Western Division shortly after the incident.

Investigations were supervised by Supt. (Ag.) Sean Dhillpaul and Insp. Jones, both of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations (HBI), Region Three.

The teenager was charged with the offence by PC Griffith also of HBI Region Three, on Sunday 26th June 2022.

A Penal woman suf­fered an open frac­ture to her left fore­arm, in­ter­nal ab­dom­i­nal bleed­ing and soft tis­sue in­juries to her chest, neck and back, after being pinned by a van against a wall — in front both of her children, ages two (2) and ten (10). The woman, who works as a bakery attendant, is in crit­i­cal con­di­tion at the San Fer­nan­do Gen­er­al Hos­pi­tal.

­The driver of the van, a man whom she knows, then drove off with her two (2) young chil­dren as they were passengers in the vehicle.

According to Po­lice, around 7:30am on Sunday morning (26th June 2022), the man came to the woman’s house at Pe­nal Rock Road and asked to speak to her. She hand­ed over the chil­dren to him, but then allegedly threw some­thing in the tray of the van. Po­lice said the man drove for­ward, pin­ning her against a wall. How­ev­er, in­stead of exiting the vehicle to assist her, he drove off with the children instead.

Oth­er rel­a­tives rushed her to the Siparia Health Fa­cil­i­ty and then the San Fer­nan­do Gen­er­al Hos­pi­tal where she re­mains ward­ed in a crit­i­cal con­di­tion.

A man­hunt was launched Sunday night for the 42-year-old man, who has two (2) ad­dress­es in San Fer­nan­do. He is now in hid­ing. Any­one with in­for­ma­tion on his whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stop­pers at 800-TIPS.

​[Source: T&T Guardian]

The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) is denying that warrants were issued for the arrests of eighteen (18) Police Officers allegedly involved in the June 2020 Morvant triple killing and that six (6) Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Police Officers were suspended.

The clarification comes as the TTPS noted two (2) articles from two (2) daily newspapers purporting that investigators were given advice on indicting suspects involved in the two (2) incidents.

The TTPS asserts, however, that these investigations into the incidents involving IATF Officers earlier this month after a fete in Port-of-Spain and the Guard and Emergency Branch and IATF incident in Morvant in June 2020, are still ongoing.

The TTPS said the public “will be informed on developments into these enquiries via legitimate Police sources as is customary.”

Citizens and the media are reminded that information pertaining to the TTPS is legitimately shared via the Corporate Communications Unit, the Commissioner of Police, the Public Information Officer or TTPS’ Media Ambassadors.