On Monday's news, we showed you our interview with the family of 16 year-old Mark Phillips who was shot in the abdomen on Thursday night. The police
said that he and another man were armed and waiting to ambush a man who was walking by. The cops say the plan went wrong when Phillips ended up getting
shot by his partner in crime. Phillips, his family, and residents in the area, say that the cops have it all wrong; Phillips and his 2 friends are in
fact the victims a failed street slaying.
So, who put the police narrative together – and how could it be so far off? We asked Senior Superintendent Chester Williams, the Officer Commanding
Eastern Division South. He told us that Phillips and his alibi witnesses better prepare themselves to tell that story to the judge, because the police
will move forward with the prosecution base don their version:
Daniel Ortiz
"Are the police investigators reconsidering the position that they have taken to take criminal action against all 3 of them?"
Supt. Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Division South
"I am not going to venture into any back and forth in terms of what Mark Phillips has said. I do not expect him to say that he was out there trying to
perpetrate any criminal act. So whatever it is, it's his story, you must save it for the courts."
Daniel Ortiz
"But sir what if your investigators are wrong? 2 men are in jail right now awaiting the case for aggravated assault; some would say that is unjust use
of police force, to force them to prove their innocence when you might already be sitting on that information of their innocence."
Supt. Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Division South
"Every person who is charged by the police; there is always some doubt coming from them or there is always something coming from them that you know
what, they did not commit the crime for which they are charged. I do not expect anyone to say you know what, yes we did this. I have two separate
reports on two separate occasions where these persons were involved with the use of gun, threatening others. So even if they want to say on that night
in question; the previous night they were there as well with firearm trying to shoot somebody. So the fact of the matter is that, they are charged with
aggravated assault. They will face their day in court to explain to explain to the magistrate what their side of the story is and that will be hashed
out in the court between them and the person who they had gone to shoot that night in question."
Daniel Ortiz
"But you do concede that there is a possibility; a chance that the police intel may be wrong. Do you concede that could be a possibility?"
Supt. Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Division South
"I'm not going to say that; we must understand that when we do investigation, it's human information. The police were not out there on the night in
question when they matter took place. The police investigation is a result of information given to the police by those person who were out there and
witness what took place. And in any investigation we go by what people say to us; those information are analysed at a part of the police investigation
process to determine whether or not there is some truth to the story. Because at the end of the day we want that, when we charge somebody we are not
charging somebody out of malicious behaviour. So I am satisfied with the information we have on these individuals that yes; they were the ones who
commit the crime on the night in question and hence the reason why they are charged and they are where they are today. "
Mark Phillips' friends, Lloyd Leslie and Dwayne Evelyn, who the teenager claims were almost shot, are in jail tonight. They were remanded to the prison
after being arraigned on aggravated assault.
Email
Print