For all of their 30 years together, Ronald Michael John’s life revolved around his father Ronald Roger John.
His father was his sole parent, best friend, and mentor.
However, tragically, on May 31, 2020—just two months after the arrival of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Trinidad and Tobago—Ronald Snr died suddenly.
Trinidad and Tobago Police Inspector of Crime of the Northern Division Ronald John died from a single gunshot to his head outside of his wife’s Trincity home.
As a proud Afro-Trinidadian man, Ronald Jnr exudes confidence—a trait he credits to his father—but when asked about his emotional state since his father’s passing, unbearable pain from a broken man pours out.
“I’ve lost every single family member that I’ve known. No one believes me. My relationships are damaged. I’m an emotional wreck. I cannot love. I have a mental disorder dismantling me. To think that someone who took care of me, made me so strong, shot and killed himself just like that, leaving me with financial problems, and emotional problems. My father was all I had,” Ronald Jnr said, choking back tears.
“To sit down in my father’s house every single day, expecting him to come home, knowing he is not coming home, I almost went crazy because I know something is wrong here…I am suffering every day. Even today, as I speak to you, I am suffering mentally because I have to go back home to face this. I have to sleep on my father’s bed.”
However, while the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service classified Ronald Snr’s death as a suicide, Ronald Jnr refuses to accept it.
In the two years since his father’s death, proving, what he believes is, the truth has become his sole purpose; an obsession.
In his attempt to prove that his father did not die by suicide, he’s rented out his home—which he once shared with his father—to pay for legal fees to access documents.
Ronald John Jnr
While raising funds, he’s lived out of his car, then the Belmont home’s garage—left to urinate and defecate in a nearby canal.
“My main focus has been finding the truth and it’s taken me to mental distress where people are looking at me and they are like, something is wrong with him— he mad—Every time you talk with him, all he talking about is his father. So, I’m traumatised by this because how can this happen with no truth, no answers?” Ronald Jnr said.
“How does a police officer of that district, holding that office, just shoot himself, just like that? Without anyone noticing that Mr John is going through something. Mr John was fit to work. He was writing and dispatching officers. I can show you my father’s police records of outstanding service; never late for work; never absent.”
According to the police investigator assigned to the case, several senior officers, including the current Acting Commissioner of Police McDonald Jacob visited the scene on May 31st, 2020.
The investigator said several checks were carried out then and there to rule out foul play.
“I told Mr John’s son, there’s no evidence to suggest anyone would have caused the untimely passing of your dad, and as a result, the file will be compiled and sent to the coroner’s court for an inquest,” he said.
“There are certain documents still outstanding, including the alleged suicide note, out of no fault of mine, but I’ll continue to do what I have to do…The truth will always come out in the end.”
Station diary report
According to a station diary report on the 54-year-old’s death, “On entry into the backyard of the house the body of…Ronald John...an Acting Inspector...last attached to the Barataria Police Station was lying on his belly in what appeared to be a pool of blood with his head facing northwest and feet southeast…his wife was interviewed and she reported that around 12:50 pm today, she was at home with the company of her two daughters…who was asleep...when the deceased left them inside the house and went to the back of the house, shortly after they heard two loud explosions and on checking she observed the deceased lying motionless in the backyard.”
“The DMO visited the scene, pronounced the body(sic) dead, and ordered its removal to the Forensic Science Centre for a post-mortem…Crime scene officers…visited the scene and processed same and seized the following (1) One Glock Pistol…with 1 magazine and 11 rounds of 9m ammunition (2)1 FUL for Glock 19 pistol...(3) Suicide note (4) Two cell phones with damages consistent with a gunshot (5) two spent shells.”
While the police have little doubt about the cause of death, Ronald Jnr finds several things peculiar.
Firstly, he said it was strange that his father would shoot his two phones, before taking his own life.
“I called my father on the 31st May—that same Sunday (That he died) …On the other end, I believe the person on my phone was not my father, so I called back because they hung up abruptly. When I called back, straight to voicemail, straight to voicemail, straight to voicemail. My father only answers his phone one particular way—‘Blessings,’“ he alleged.
He also alleged that the handwriting of the suicide note found in his father’s pants doesn’t match his father’s usual handwriting.
In an attempt to prove his point, John Jnr read from a note written by his father.
Guardian Media, without the necessary expertise to examine handwriting, could not make any assertions about alleged differences between the two.
However, the note spoke to personal issues involving his wife that seemingly left John Snr distraught.
He spoke to his body and mind being worn and stressed as a result of stressors.
Autopsy report shows bullet traveled from right to left.
According to the autopsy report, obtained by Ronald Jnr through a Freedom of Information Act Request, the bullet entered through the right of the head and exited through the left.
Ronald Jnr contended the finding was strange, given his father was left-handed.
In another FOIA Request made to the Trinidad and Tobago Forensic Science Centre by Ronald John Jnr, he sought to find out if the death was self-inflicted.
The pathologist responded by letter on December 3rd, 2021 saying, “Even though the cause of death was bullet impact and entry into the body, as to what happened before the bullet was discharged, I will be unable to say whether the holder of the gun was the deceased or some other person as the evidence passed to the pathology unit does not include this position. This is a matter for the police investigator to negative or confirm.”
“If my allegations are wrong, why don’t the police service simply present the evidence to support their report of suicide? That’s all I am asking for—the truth, the truth,” John Jnr pleaded.
Trials
Ronald John Snr was 54 years old when he died and served 32 years in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
The last few years of his life, however, were full of tests and trials.
As an Acting Inspector, he investigated several high-profile cases under the administration of former Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith.
John Snr, the head of the Four Roads Station at the time, was the investigator looking into a missing diary report which contained accusations made against former CoP Griffith by Cocorite resident Cecil Skeete.
Skeete, in a complaint to Four Roads Officers, alleged in 2019 that Griffith choked and threatened to kill him while he was being questioned by police.
The diary was allegedly seized and remained unaccounted for, while several officers involved in investigating the case were transferred to another division by a former Assistant Commissioner of Police.
During his investigations into the missing diary, John Snr was also transferred from the Four Roads Police Station to the Barataria Police Station.
“My father was told to leave that investigation alone. Now that my father is dead, that investigation has gone cold case(sic).
“Another investigation my father was investigating was, have you heard of the case where the DPP asked for a file? To bring him the Hackshaw file (Former ACP Irwin Hackshaw), remember that? My father was also an investigator into the death of Vaughn “Sandman” Mieres on the North Coast, where Mr. Mieres was alleged to have prominent rogue officers on his payroll,” John Jnr claimed.
“He did (express concerns about his safety concerning the investigations). That’s why he put contingencies into play. He took sick leave and he was going to the Director of Public Prosecutions.”
Skeete, a gang leader, was later murdered.
In 2017, a year after getting married, John Senior was diagnosed with cancer.
In 2019, having already put out large amounts of money for treatment he was left unable to afford the surgery needed to save his life.
That year, John went to the United States hoping to have emergency surgery performed.
Pathologist’s Note
Donors paid US$15,000 for his surgery at the Kingsville Medical Centre in Texas, United States.
“He did three major surgeries and he healed. The creator blessed him with life, he came back to Trinidad in January 2020.
“I have all my father’s medical records from Kingsville Medical which will show that even though my father had cancer, his body was well-nourished. He didn’t have terminal sickness to say that he was dying,” John Jnr said about rumours that his father’s cancer diagnosis was terminal.
“He was on active duty. He’s actively holding a service firearm. He cannot yield that firearm unless he has a medical psychiatric evaluation done…He’s dealing with public investigations. What ailing? He was not ailing,” John Jnr claimed.
With T&T’s borders closed, John stayed with relatives for close to a year in the US after his life-saving surgery.
In addition to having cancer, John Snr was also experiencing marital issues, having separated from his wife of four years at the time of his death.
The case remains classified as a suicide.
However, the case remains open and if any evidence suggesting foul play comes forward, they will investigate it.
Ronald Jnr says he will continue in his attempt to make sense of the tragic loss of his father and best friend—a dedicated police officer with 32 years of service.
“This is my father. This is somebody who took care of me for 30 years of my life. I never had a mother. A lot of young men in this country today do not have a father…I feel as though my life has been over. For two years, this has been my main priority. I haven’t had a job. I haven’t had a relationship. I haven’t had any social activity,” John Jnr said in closing.
Since March 2020, at least three police officers are believed to have died by suicide.
According to the Director of the Health Ministry’s Mental Health Unit Dr Hazel Othello, 232 people died from suicide in Trinidad and Tobago between the years 2020 and 2021.
Close to 80 per cent of those who died were men.
