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alexk
Guest
Relatives of Yasin Richardson and Brandon Harewood are calling for an immediate intervention by the head of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), David West, as they claim that their children were allegedly fired upon by the police “for no reason” on Saturday morning while on their way home from a party.
Richardson, 22, who was shot multiple times, was the driver of the car and later died while receiving treatment at the Arima District Hospital.
Harewood, also, 22, who was shot and injured, was up to yesterday still in police custody at the Arima Police Station.
Richardson lived at Wallerfield. He was Harewood’s neighbour and “good childhood friend.”
Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday at the Forensic Science Centre in St James, Richardson’s father, Andre, said he needed answers from the police, who were involved in the incident.
An initial police report stated that at about 4 am police officers of the Northern Division were on patrol along Cocorite Road, Arima, when they attempted to stop a vehicle with two male passengers.
The men reportedly ignored their requests to stop and sped off. The officers called for backup and pursued the men, who allegedly began shooting at them.
Even after the police shot the car’s tyres, the driver continued to drive. The vehicle was eventually intercepted along Tumpuna Road South after the driver crashed and the vehicle flipped.
The driver and passenger were removed from the wreckage and taken to hospital for treatment.
However, Andre said he strongly believes that something is wrong as he firmly believed that his son and his friend did not have guns in their possession.
Andre said he was told that the police officers were responding to a report of an attempted robbery at a gas station in Arima.
“Maybe they mistook my son for the thieves but we went around and ask the three gas stations around that we know of and we were told that nothing like that ever took place on Friday night up to that time that shooting took place…no robbery…no attempted robbery,” he said.
Andre said his son worked together with him as an engineer’s assistant and had recently bought his Suzuki car. “He had gotten paid and decided to go to a party in San Juan. So, it was him and two friends - Brandon and a next one, who he had dropped off just before the police shoot them.”
“I really need answers here and the police must take wrong for this. They have to take responsibility for this,” Andre said.
Harewood’s mother, Sasha told the T&T Guardian yesterday that she attempted to get information from the police but to no avail.
She said, “All they tell me is that my son at the station and he has not been charged for anything as yet (up to 6 pm yesterday).
“I went to the hospital and was told that my son was shot and had received treatment but was given no other kind of information as to where, if it’s left or right. I know he is at the station because I tried to carry clothes and food for him but the police refused to give it to him. I asked what happened and all they tell me is that it is a police matter,” Sasha added.