Tuesday February 9th, 2010
- Last update:15 hours 14 min ago
Aftermath of police shooting...
Tension still high in Beetham
Published: 17 Oct 2009
Beetham Gardens resident Sharmine Nichols holds a stone in one hand while pointing to a bullet hole in a glass window. She claimed the bullet came from a police officer during a lockdown of the area Thursday night. PHOTO: KEITH MATTHEWS
Residents of Beetham Gardens are claiming that 15 people, among them children, were held hostage by heavily armed police officers who threatened to “kill everybody” during a police lockdown in the area Thursday evening. The incident stemmed from the shooting deaths of Ricky Roberts 39 and 45-year-old Fabien Mauge, both of Beetham Gardens.
Residents claim the men, said to be responsible for Wednesday’s murder of Port-of-Spain DVD vendor Anderson Byone, were wrongfully killed by police. They claim the assailants responsible for Byone’s slaying were not from the Beetham and were “still out there.” Resident Sharmine Nichols, claimed her businessplace, Trini Mini Mart and Boutique on the corner of 24th Street was invaded by police after terrified residents ran into her establishment during the police exercise. Nichols, a mother of two teenaged girls, said police, in pursuit of the residents, smashed glass casings, pelted stones at glass windows, shared licks, destroyed goods and stole about $300 from her business.
“The police keep cracking their gun in we face and saying they would kill everybody in the shop,” Nichols claimed. She said around 7.30 pm she was sitting outside her businessplace with her sister Michelle, when “somebody pelt bottles at the police.” Nichols said residents who were liming on the road then ran into her store to hide from the police. “About 15 people run in my shop and the police run in behind them and start to pelt bottle and beat we,” Nichols said. She alleged that when she attempted to speak to the police, one of them pulled her “ras” and hit her a gun butt on the arm. Describing the atmosphere yesterday as “tense” in the community, another resident said the police ordered a “curfew” on Thursday night and threatened to arrest those who failed to take heed. “The police said after six who inside could stay and who outside cannot get inside. “Police tell a man who now cross the bus route to come home to go back where he come from because he cannot get in the area,” the resident claimed. He said residents held little respect for the police because innocent people were often targeted.
Commissioner responds
Yesterday, acting Police Commissioner James Philbert assured that all manpower necessary would be used to deal with criminal elements in Beetham Gardens. “We are going to fight the criminals and I am going to ensure my officers are well-protected. “We are not going to allow criminals to dictate any pace for us and we are definitely not afraid of them,” Philbert said.
PNM TILL YUH DEAD OR KILLED
PNM TILL YUH DEAD OR KILLED -
Really PNM till yuh dead.
Maybe if the good people of
Maybe if the good people of the Beetham were less friendly to the criminals living amongst them then the police executions and infringements of basic human rights would lessen?
Unfortunately, the current stigmas attached to their neighbourhood doesn't allow for them to enjoy much sympathy from the general public and until then, nothing will come of their claims of executions nor their protests.
/Corbeaux
HOW COME?
HOW COME? -
At elections time they does be so unfriendly and the crime goes down just before and climb back up after? How come at Carnival and when we have Summit of Americas the crime does go down? Let's continue to excuse away the obvious faults of the PNM government.
Mr. Police Commissioner
Mr. Police Commissioner Act. your words, just like the utterances of the Minister of National Security, have a helpless sound to them. I noticed that you did not use the word Plan, but tried to convey what might be a threat of an up and coming attack upon the residents of Beetham Gardens.
It is as if having naked children squating and coughing was not enough of an indignity to force upon the innocent, you will now send in your Storm Troopers against the people of Beetham Gardens.
Already you have decided that they are criminals. Early morning lock down and the searching of lunch boxes by cops in riot gear with firearms do nothing to encourage civil behavior.
Now you are going fight them with your well protected troopers which would be the same as shooting crabs in a barrel.
But before you do anything rash, you better get the approval of Mr. Big first. He might not want you to hurt any of his devoted followers.
Commissioner I commend you.
Commissioner I commend you. You have to ensure the safety of your officers especially when dealing with the rogues in Beetham. They would go about doing their crime throughout the country and then return to Beetham where it's considered a safe haven for criminals. In addition, with all the commotion that was going on the residents only focus on the police actions. What about the conduct on some of the residents in Beetham? If they were throwing stones at the police (which is considered a weapon) then they (the police) should respond and respond aggresively. The residents of these poor stricken neighborhoods needs to know who is in charge. I am a product of Laventille and there has never been a time when I disrespected authority. These young men and women need some direction in order for them to come to terms with whats taking place not only in Trinidad, but throughout the Caribbean and the rest of the world. There are laws which we all have to abide by and adhere to the laws of the land.
Right is right and wrong is
Right is right and wrong is wrong wherever it is found and whoever is involved. If the police stepped beyond the law then they must be made to answer for their actions. However, the problem I have with the Beetham residents is this - if they want the rest of the population to respect them and show support for them then they must not be found breaking the law and intimidating others. Once I saw two young men from the Beetham climb a truck transporting the 20lb gas cylindas and began throwing off as many as they could then jumped down and began to run with them into the Beetham. Again, in slow traffic on the Beetham, a guy opened the back door of a car, jumped in and robbed the driver of his valuables then ran off into the safety of the Beetham. Now this is where I have the difficulty. I am prepared to support the cause of the Beetham residents but acts like these are what cause many to turn their faces away. So Beetham residents, get your act together and certainly you will have the entire country behind you.
As long as there is no
As long as there is no healing, all of these things will continue to take place, both the lawlessness and the police raids and other killings too.